Want Me Like That
by Rise of the Blossom
Summary: Collection of one-shots that are not related with one another. Still accepting prompts and requests! Make sure you read the beginning of the one-shot for the rating, as they all vary.
1. Story 1: Death

**A/N – This is a collection of one-shots that are not related with one another (unless I post at the very start of them that they are, which is a slim possibility). I'm still accepting requests, so if you have any, share them!**

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 **Want Me Like That**

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 **Story 1  
Prompt: "Death brought them together, it's also what keeps them together." Requested by XxTaintedDragonxX  
** **Rating: M. Oh and I'm supposed to put trigger warnings, too. There's death (obviously). It broke my heart writing this, for obvious reasons, so I hope you all enjoy it! I put everything into this and had to stop writing every so often because I was an emotional wreck throughout it all, hahah.**

It was such a beautiful day.

The sky was cloudless, leaving the blueness of it to seem as though it was going on forever, stretching out for as long as it possibly could and right at the top of it all, the sun shone proudly, bathing them all in its warmth.

The village was busy, as per usual and she found that the constant chatter and flow of people was comforting. Occasionally the villagers would stop her and start a conversation, asking her how her day was going and whether she was working hard today at the hospital. No, she replied for once. It was quiet.

Casualties were at an all-time low and it left the staff wandering aimlessly around the hospital, needlessly checking on the small number of patients. She supposed it gave them the time needed to give each individual patient their utmost attention, making sure they had absolutely everything they needed, or even wanted.

At that moment in time, she was on house calls, checking her patients who wished to remain at home rather than at the hospital.

She paused in her walk to the district that had become painfully familiar now, staring up at the sky and breathing deeply, allowing the wind to caress her skin like a lover's touch.

Those who wished to remain at home… They were on the list of terminally ill. They were the ones who couldn't be healed, therefore it was only fair that they were granted their final wish of staying at home, where they could pass on with their families by their sides, comforting them or simply being there for them.

Her list of house calls only had two names. One happened to be an old lady who was close to passing due to old age, meaning there was nothing to be done but make sure that she was comfortable when she passed. The other name, however, was one belonging to a young man, one who was only a handful of years older than herself. When she had first read his name on the list of terminally ill, her heart had stopped and then proceeded to break into a thousand pieces, because she knew what his death would do to her teammate.

Sighing, she carried on walking, pushing on with sheer determination.

In her seven years of working at the hospital, she had seen her fair share of death and had been scarred by it. It also pushed her to work harder, though. Those deaths would always be burned, _etched_ into her skin and they would never be forgotten, but the world couldn't stop because it lost yet another soul. There was many, many, many others out there who needed her help and she had to make sure they received her absolute best.

When it was somebody who was diagnosed with an illness that couldn't be cured… It was a little different. As a medic-nin, she had so many coming to her after a vicious battle, in need of her healing chakra, but sometimes, she couldn't save them. She couldn't make it in time. With the terminally ill, however, you were forced to witness their suffering. You had to watch as the illness progressed, travelling throughout the patient's body and causing agonising pain for them. All the while, you would be unable to do anything other than be there for them.

The world could be so cruel, despite its beauty.

At her appearance in their district, many of the clansmen ducked their heads and averted their gazes. It didn't bother her and she knew not to take it personally. It was because they knew what was happening, because they knew who she was going to see. The imminent death of their fellow clansman cut them deeply, mainly because it was so much wasted potential and because he was so young, barely even getting started in life.

One of the elder women nodded in acknowledgment, her eyes heavy with both age and sadness. According to what she'd been told, the old woman was there for the birth of the man and had watched him grow. He called her his aunt, despite there not actually being a connection other than their last names. Even though they were both Uchiha, they were not tied by blood.

The house she approached was darker than usual, gloomier. Nowadays it always held an air of defeat and as always, it made her pause in knocking, had her sucking in a deep breath to steady herself.

 _It was always worse when you personally knew the patient._

When you knew the patient, you were supposed to hand over the case without hesitating. Half the time, if the senior doctor knew you were connected to the patient, they would do their best to make sure you didn't get put in charge of them. This, however, was a special case and it was also an exception. She had been asked to take care of him.

"Haruno-san," greeted the Uchiha matriarch. "Thank you for coming at such short notice."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Mikoto-sama."

It was strange addressing her teammate's mother with the honorific of '-sama', but right now, she was in professional mode and had to make sure she showed nothing but respect to the matriarch of the Uchiha clan.

"How is he?" she asked while removing her shoes, nudging her feet into the slippers that Mikoto provided for her. "What has changed since the last time I was here?"

The woman had a strong composure. Even now, as they discussed her son's fast approaching death, she remained emotionless and detached, but Sakura knew it was just a front. Back when Tsunade had first diagnosed him and informed them that there was no cure, she had cried silent tears.

Now, she was simply trying to be strong for her sons – both of them. They needed her too much for her to fall apart.

"Itachi is having trouble breathing," came her calm reply. "Last night, Shisui said that he was coughing blood, too."

Damn it. "I see. Is it okay if I go straight to his room?"

Mikoto nodded once. "I will bring some tea shortly."

She gave her a small smile in return before turning, heading to Itachi's room. By now, she knew the way and didn't need to be shown. They also trusted her enough to allow her to wander around their home, despite not being an Uchiha.

When she turned the corner that would take her straight to Itachi's bedroom, she found the younger Uchiha brother standing outside of his bedroom, eyes shut and eyebrows pulling together every so often.

"Sasuke."

He didn't look at her and faintly, his chest shuddered. "It's nearly time, isn't it?"

Strong. She had to be strong and remain professional. "I'm afraid so."

It didn't surprise her when he lowered his head, bangs falling in front of his eyes. Even though he tried to hide it, she still saw his tears and couldn't stop herself from stepping closer to him, cupping his cheek softly and forcing him to meet her gaze.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke-kun," she told him quietly. "It sounds like his symptoms are escalating at a rate even I can't keep up with." Sasuke merely nodded, gritting his teeth together. "Go to Hokage-sama, Sasuke-kun and get yourself taken off the mission rota for a short while. You should spend some time with Itachi-san."

"…Yeah."

Her forehead thudded against his and she shut her eyes. "I'll do my best to make him as comfortable as possible."

"Thank you."

Using his pain to gain composure once more, Sakura pulled away and knocked on the door. Sasuke turned away when it opened, revealing another Uchiha. It wasn't Itachi, but instead his friend, Shisui.

Before being assigned as Itachi's main doctor, she had never Shisui. Sure, she saw him around the village and heard of him and his abilities, but until that awful day, she had never met him or uttered a single word to him. Now, it was odd not being in his presence, or going days without seeing him.

"Sakura-san," he greeted, his voice rough. It was obvious that he hadn't had any sleep for the past few nights, also. "Thank you for coming."

As soon as Shisui stepped aside, Sakura felt her heart breaking at the sight of the once proud Uchiha Itachi. It had to have been weeks since he last left his bedroom, unable to walk any further than a few feet before collapsing. It was simply too much for his rapidly deteriorating body to handle, now. Now, he was laying in his bed, sleeping, but not peacefully. Even in sleep his illness plagued him and caused him great agony, eating away at his insides.

"How long has Itachi-san been sleeping?" she asked.

"Not long," was his reply. "I had to put him under genjutsu so that his body can try to recuperate."

It wouldn't help, Sakura nearly told him, but she silenced herself before she did. Shisui was merely trying to do something, to feel useful in some way.

Only a week after hearing about Itachi's illness, the older Uchiha had taken himself off the mission rota, instead assigning himself as Itachi's carer. He stayed by his side all hours of the day, doing his best to take care of his best friend and for that, Sakura admired him immensely. Watching somebody you love dying helplessly had to be the hardest thing in the world, yet he chose to be there for him no matter what. Not a lot of people could do that.

"He hasn't been able to eat anything," Shisui started the usual report. "Hardly sleeps and now, Itachi can barely even sit up without being overtaken by a horrendous cough. Last night, he started coughing up and vomiting blood, too."

"Bring him out of the genjutsu, Shisui-san," ordered Sakura quietly. "I need his consent before checking him over with my chakra."

"After all this time-"

She sighed. "Please, Shisui-san."

It was understandable that Shisui was feeling frustrated, as anybody in his position would. However, she had to stay firm in her orders and had to obey all rules no matter what and for patients on the terminally ill list, they had to abide by a whole new list of rules as well as the usual ones. To break any of them would mean breaking the patient's confidence and trust in her, and that was unacceptable.

While they waited for Itachi to wake up from the genjutsu, she knelt beside his futon silently, folding her legs beneath herself and resting her hands on her thighs. The wood was uncomfortable when knelt on it for so long, proven by the endless nights she'd spent by Itachi's side, numbing his pain as best as she could.

His eyes opened slowly, blinking a few times to try and break through the haze and it was obvious in that moment that his sight was also deteriorating. Still, he showed no signs of upset, but it was only because she'd warned him that it was a possibility.

"Sakura-san?"

"I'm here," she told him, leaning over so that he could see her better. Usually she sat him up for healing sessions, but if what Shisui told her was true, then Itachi would be more comfortable laying down. "How are you feeling?"

"…Tired," came his hoarse reply.

Sakura nodded sympathetically and grabbed the wash cloth that was beside his bed, tenderly wiping the sweat off his brow. "I'm going to check you over again, is that okay? While I'm at it, I'll numb the pain again."

"Understood."

From what she could tell as she pushed her healing chakra inside of him, it was taking all of his energy to keep breathing, which explained why he seemed so exhausted all the time now – she told them that as she went about examining him. The fatigue was inescapable and there was no way she could try to wake him up, for he was too ill for any of those methods. It would be too much for his system to handle.

There was no name for his illness. It was something none of them had ever encountered before and the best they could do was give him medicine that would forcibly prolong his life. At his request, however, that option was ruled out. Itachi had asked that they just let nature take its course. Obviously that upset his loved ones deeply, but at the end of the day, it was his final request and they had to understand that. What was the point of prolonging his agony?

The illness mainly targeted his lungs, but over time, it began to sweep through his system, targeting one organ after another until it turned his insides to mush, for lack of better word. Now, it was heading for his heart and once it hit it, without medicine, he wouldn't make it through the night.

Tonight was his final night.

Once she shared the devastating news, Shisui fell to his knees beside his best friend's bed, lowering his head in the same fashion Sasuke had.

"It is your choice, Itachi-san," she then went on to say. "I can stay by your side and continue to numb the pain, if you wish."

There was a pause, one where he attempted to breathe a sigh, but he stopped midway and breathed out quickly, a faint tremor taking over. It hurt to even breathe, now, she realised.

"Please stay," he murmured in reply. When she nodded, expecting that to be his only answer, he then told her, "Sasuke would appreciate your presence."

This time, she nodded quickly, fiercely fighting to remain professional. During her time as his personal medic, Sakura had found that Itachi adored his younger brother and nobody was more precious to him than Sasuke. He had done his best to shield his beloved younger brother from the harsh reality of the world and his illness, but it got to a stage where he could no longer fight that battle. She had done her best to continue the fight for him, but it was impossible. There was no way to protect him from the pain.

"I'll give you both a moment," she stated and stood. "Would you like me to gather your immediate family, Itachi-san?"

He shut his dark eyes, nodding softly.

When she left the room, Sasuke was no longer hanging around and she allowed herself a moment of weakness as she fell back against the wall, bringing a hand to her mouth to smother her whimper.

 _Tonight was his final night._

Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what that felt like. To know that you were going to die and there was no way to escape it. There wasn't only that, but also the people around you who would be affected by your imminent death, too. It tortured them and there was no way to avoid it, no way to shield them from that pain.

At this point, most medics detached themselves for the sake of their own sanity. Witnessing so much death was never good for a person's mentality. But she couldn't do that, not to Itachi. Not to the man who had selflessly given his all to protect their village time and time again. He was such a cherished member of their village that, when news of his illness broke, his home had been flooded with cards and flowers and meals. Even the Hokage, both the Sandaime and the Yondaime, personally came to visit him.

Naruto had told her that he overheard his father discussing plans of having his name placed somewhere original, somewhere that would show how much they all treasured Konoha's Uchiha Itachi.

Wiping her eyes to make sure there was no evidence of her moment of weakness, Sakura breathed deeply through her nose and finally pushed away from the wall, searching through the home until she found Mikoto, who was calmly cleaning the dishes in the kitchen. Her husband was sat at the table, body tense and features stern as ever, but she could see the faint twitch of his jaw as he clenched and unclenched it.

Her presence didn't do anything to help, either.

"What is it, Haruno?" Fugaku asked.

It didn't seem like Mikoto was about to pause in her job of cleaning the dishes, wanting to keep herself busy. Sakura sighed. "I'm sorry, but Itachi won't make it through the night."

The dish in her hand suddenly shattered and it was like she _felt_ Mikoto's world shattering around her as the woman fell to her knees, all composure disappearing as she cried out into her now bloody hands.

Sakura was about to approach her, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder and when she looked over her shoulder, she found Sasuke, he was paler than usual and lips almost being torn off by his teeth. He refused to release his emotions, though and continued to hold her back.

She saw why as Fugaku broke out of his shock and joined his wife on the floor, bringing her to him and holding her close.

"Give them a minute," he ordered gruffly.

Reluctantly, Sakura followed the youngest Uchiha out of the kitchen, coming to a stop in the hallway.

"The Hokage has taken me off for an undetermined amount of time," Sasuke told her. His back was to her, but she could still hear the traitorous shake in his voice. "He wants me to take as much time as I need." Sakura nodded, quietly voicing her agreement. "I… didn't think it would be this soon."

"I know," she whispered, holding her emotions back with everything she had. "Itachi-san has asked that I stay with him until…" She swallowed hard and there was no stopping the single tear that slipped down her cheek. It was so much harder when it was someone you knew. So, so much harder and she now understood why Tsunade had set such strict rules at the hospital. "He wants you there, too."

A broken sounding scoff left him. "Like he could stop me."

For a moment, Sakura hesitated, but she then stepped forward. "I'm going to head back to Itachi-san's room. Are you coming?"

Like she had, he hesitated and then looked over his shoulder. They could no longer hear Mikoto's cries, but they knew it was only because she was muffling them, once more trying to stay strong for her children.

"What if I can't handle it?" His voice could only be described as lost.

"Itachi-san doesn't need you to be strong for him, Sasuke-kun," she told him. "He just needs his little brother there, by his side."

"And… You'll be there?"

"I promise."

When he didn't move, she reached out, taking his hand in hers and giving him a shaky, reassuring smile. Sasuke's reply was a simple nod before he allowed her to lead the way back to Itachi's room, pulling him along by their joined hands.

And then he froze mere inches from the door, eyes wide and breathing harsh as he sucked in large gulps of air. Since it was an expected reaction (she'd witnessed it so many times since starting work at the hospital), Sakura paused with him, remaining by his side as he fought hard to regain his composure, but when it became apparent that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, he muttered for her to just open the door. It was as good as it was going to get.

She went straight to Itachi's side when they entered the room, checking him over with a medical eye before sighing inwardly. There wasn't much she could do. She was useless.

It was slowly that Sasuke sat down beside his brother's bed, his eyes heavy with sadness and pain as he also assessed the state he was in.

There wasn't much to talk about and the silence felt suffocating.

Itachi must have felt that way, too, because he asked, "Shisui, can you open a window?"

Then again, Itachi had always enjoyed nature. Like herself, he appreciated the beauty of it and everything that it represented. It was when he felt most at peace, when he was surrounded by nature. Unfortunately, they couldn't take him outside, so the best they could give him was the opening of the window and even then, that was an incredible risk for his weakened immune system.

But that hardly mattered considering tonight was his last night.

About half an hour later, Mikoto and Fugaku entered the room quietly, sitting down on either side of Sasuke. It would be a lie if Sakura said she'd never seen so much suffering before, because she had, but that didn't make it any easier. It never did.

Silently, Shisui knelt down beside her and she didn't comment on the fact that he was closer than usual. It wasn't unusual for people to seek comfort from another's presence when faced with death, whether it was their own death, or somebody close to them.

"Sasuke."

Dark eyes snapped to his older brother's face. "Yeah, nii-san?"

A small, wistful smile pulled at Itachi's dry and cracked lips. "I know you were always interested in my katana collection," he murmured slowly, taking careful breaths. "Please take care of them."

"I will," he vowed and sounded almost breathless at the fact he was being left with something Itachi took great pride in.

Then, hazy eyes drifted to Shisui and the older Uchiha sat up straighter, waiting intensely to hear his orders. "Sasuke will need to be trained in how to use them properly, as you know yourself that some vary in length and weight." He nodded once. "Please, train my brother just as you trained me. I know I can trust you to help him."

"Understood," came his rough reply. "I'll make sure he surpasses you."

His smile returned. "Good." Breathing in slowly, his hand reached out, shaking with the effort needed to take his mother's hand. "Thank you for everything, Mother, Father."

The woman's earlier tears were threatening to fill her eyes once more and Sakura couldn't even begin to understand what sort of pain she was going through. Witnessing the death of someone you loved was one thing, but the death of your own child was on a whole other level. She'd seen what it did to a parent to have to bury their child – it destroyed them and more often than not, they could never come back from it.

At the sound of his raspy breathing, Sakura's hands pressed lightly to his chest, lighting the room with a green glow as she targeted the damned illness, begging and praying to whoever was listening that they'd at least make his death painless.

They must have been listening for once and she pulled away slowly, surveying him for a moment.

The very first time Sakura had laid eyes on Uchiha Itachi was when she was just eight years old. He had been waiting outside of the Academy for Sasuke, seemingly unaware of that fact that he had all the girls in her class swooning at the mere sight of him. They were goners when they saw how he acted with Sasuke, how caring he was.

"I know we haven't always seen eye-to-eye, Father," he continued once the pain had been numbed, "but I have always admired you, which is why I always pushed myself in training. I wanted to make you proud."

Fugaku's eyes shut and his eyebrows pulled together harshly. Like in the kitchen, his jaw clenched and unclenched until he managed to reply, "You always have."

"Sakura-san." Her eyes widened as he addressed her, as she hadn't been expecting it. "Thank you for being my personal medic. Even when it is late at night, you have been at my beck and call."

"Of course I have," she murmured and breathed out shakily. "I consider you to be my friend not because your Sasuke-kun's older brother, but because you're a genuine, caring person!"

"I have those around me to thank for that."

Itachi stared up at the ceiling and she wondered if it was finally dawning on him that there was no coming back from this, because for a moment, there was a lapse in composure and his legendary mask slipped, revealing the wonderful, selfless young man that was beneath it as he smiled softly.

And then something dawned on her, filling her with pure horror as she grabbed his left wrist, feeling for his pulse. It was slow and weak.

He wouldn't even make it to the evening.

Shisui was the first one to catch on and his head lowered, teeth gritting harshly. The next were his parents when Mikoto felt his hold slacken, her eyes widening with fear. No matter how hard she held onto him, it didn't change anything, even when Fugaku wrapped both his hands around hers and his son's.

And as Itachi's breathed his final breath, Sasuke dropped his forehead to his brother's chest, his cry of pure agony echoing throughout the entire house.

"Time of death…" came her shaky, thick voice and her hands trembled as she looked down at her watch. "Fourteen-oh-three."

Sakura turned away just as a hand fell to her shoulder, burying her face into Shisui's chest to try and block out the sound of her best friend's cries, grateful that his arms aided by wrapping around her tightly.

* * *

It had been weeks since the death of Uchiha Itachi.

Most deaths went unnoticed, as they were such a large village that was growing bigger every day. However, they all felt Itachi's death like a blow to the gut and it was proof that it didn't matter how powerful you were, or what your status was. One way or another, they all met their matchmaker and they all ended up in the same place.

After the funeral, it became rare to see the main family of the Uchiha Clan. They kept to themselves so much that it was scary and they were all worried about them in their own individual ways.

Tsunade had commended her on her hard work and unwavering devotion, but it did nothing to ease the ache that never seemed to let up. Great, another award, more experience under her belt, all the while a young man who was supposed to be enjoying his life, wasn't. He was buried six feet underground and would never get to enjoy the things he loved anymore.

About a week after the funeral, Naruto had gone stomping into the district, determined on dragging Sasuke out of his pit for some well needed sparring. Halfway there, she, Kakashi and his own mother had used force to drag him back out, kicking and screaming.

Kushina had been fierce, downright terrifying, when she reprimanded him – no, _screamed_ at him to grow the hell up and show some compassion. Mikoto and Fugaku lost their eldest son to a horrific illness that literally ate away at his organs. They weren't going to be in the mood to deal with his childish shit. And honestly, Sakura couldn't disagree with her. _She'd been there._

Head banging and eyes aching, Sakura left the hospital. The fresh air was gratefully accepted, was breathed in greedily. Nowadays it was painful staying in that building for prolonged periods of time, because while it was still quiet and relatively empty, those that _were_ there, were there for the same reasons: either extensive injuries, or to die. Anybody else was seen to and dealt with within an hour maximum, depending on who was treating them.

The funeral had been painfully beautiful, with thousands there to mourn his death and pay respects and it only proved how cherished Uchiha Itachi truly was. It proved that they all recognised the sacrifices he had made for him. And for the eulogy, along with the Hokage's speech, Fugaku had managed to reel in his composure, saying a short but sweet speech about his son, his pride, before walking away abruptly, unable to say anymore.

She hadn't seen Shisui during the funeral. Rumour had it, he was holed up in his home and nobody had seen him for weeks. It worried her and rightly so. She'd seen what he'd been like when Itachi first passed and had held him for hours once the disbelief had worn off.

Sasuke…

Something odd had happened to his eyes, but she wasn't too sure the others had seen it. For a split second, Sakura could have sworn that his Sharingan was activated, but it hadn't looked like the ordinary pattern of tomoe. She had heard rumours of the Sharingan being activated from stressful circumstances, so did that mean others levels were available to be unlocked? Surely that wasn't possible?

They probably already knew, but something nagged at her to tell someone. Some voice at the back of her mind was blaring a warning at her that he needed help, but why? Why did he need help?

It was dark out and the fact that there weren't any stars to be seen made it feel even darker, like they were totally alone in the universe. The thought was scary and made her feel lonelier than ever.

Tugging her jacket tighter around her body, Sakura breathed out slowly and began her walk home, to the one-bedroom apartment she rented. It was kind of out of the way, which was something she enjoyed, as it meant more peace and solitude when she needed it. It was something she needed a lot of recently.

The death of a patient always hit her hard, but the death of Itachi hit her so much harder than anything she'd ever experienced before. Not a day went by when she didn't think of him and how he was too young, had too much to experience and so much life to live, to be taken in such a cruel way. It never failed to make her tear up on a particularly stressful day, because what the hell did she have to be upset about? At least she was still had a life to live.

Sakura came to an abrupt stop, eyes going wide with shock, at the sight of a man standing opposite her apartment building, eyes fixated on the shop next to it. He looked haggard and pale, like he hadn't slept in weeks despite never being seen out of his home.

Until tonight.

She approached silently, slowly and frowned softly when he didn't look away from the shop.

"Shisui-san?"

"He loved dango," he murmured.

Itachi.

Her eyes saddened, drifting over to the small shop. It was part of the reason why she loved her apartment – the smell of fresh dango every day, filling her apartment with its homely, sweet scent. Add that to the peaceful area and it was perfect for her if you excluded the fact that she had no one to share it with.

"When we were kids, I always brought him here." His voice was rough and it sounded like he hadn't used it for a while. "We'd eat so much dango until we felt sick, until it became physically impossible to eat anymore."

It stunned her when tears filled his eyes and he bit his lip harshly, almost drawing blood and as soon as those tears fell, she grabbed his arm, tugging him towards her apartment building. Nothing was said as they made their way to her home, walking up the two flights of stairs until they reached it. Even when they entered her home, even as she helped him remove his shoes and take off his jacket, nothing was said.

But it didn't feel awkward. It felt like helping a friend who was going through an impossibly tough time, helping someone who needed it.

Shisui all but collapsed onto her sofa and while he leaned forward with his head in his hands, she went into the kitchen, grabbing two cups along with a bottle of sake Tsunade had bought her a while ago. It went untouched simply because she wasn't much of a drinker, but right now, it felt like one of those times when it was a must.

And Shisui certainly didn't argue with her decision when the cups were set onto the coffee table, immediately being filled with sake. It was strong stuff, Sakura noticed as she read the label on the bottle, though that was to be expected of someone like Tsunade. She was the kind of woman who scoffed at the weaker stuff, as all it ever did was waste her money. Over the years, she'd built up a terrifying tolerance for alcohol.

"You weren't at the funeral," she said softly while handing him his cup.

Its contents were gone in a second and Shisui grimaced as he slammed the cup down onto the table. "I couldn't handle it. I tried." He swallowed hard, fighting against the burn of the sake. "But I couldn't make it any further than his house."

Of course. Shisui lived further into the district than Itachi had. He would have had to walk past his home in order to leave the district. "Take it easy with this stuff or you'll be on your ass." He didn't reply to that, merely waited until the cup was refilled before downing that, too. Sighing, she copied, though waited a few minutes before pouring herself another, forcing him to wait, too. "Asking if you're okay is a stupid question, right?"

Another chug. Another slam. "What do you think?"

Honestly, if he kept that up, he seriously would be on his ass – out on the cold street, too, because she sure as hell wasn't having him throwing it all back up over her apartment. It would stink for weeks afterwards, that had been proven once before by Ino, who had once stumbled into her home because she didn't want to face her parents while so recklessly drunk.

On her third cup, she began to feel the buzz kicking in and one glance at Shisui told her that he was long lost to the drunken haze. It made her wonder if he'd started drinking earlier. She sighed and tried several times to talk about something different, something that would take his mind off the ache in his heart, but nothing seemed to work until she brought up Sasuke.

"Poor kid," he slurred, the cup in his hand tipping. Warily, she eyed her rug, hoping and praying he wouldn't spill sake on it. "He practically worshipped Itachi. Can't imagine what he's feeling."

"I know," Sakura agreed quietly, her eyes downcast. "I thought I saw his Sharingan activated just after…"

"Oh?" He paused in chugging down another mouthful of sake, raising an eyebrow at her.

She frowned. He hadn't noticed? Then again, they'd all been wrapped up in their guilt. "Yeah. It looked different, though. Like…"

Something shifted in his eyes, the colour warping into red and black, before again swirling to a completely new design. "Like this?"

Her breath left her like a punch to the gut. So the rumours of Uchiha Shisui's eyes were true, then. They practically oozed power. "Yeah…" she replied breathlessly. It was stunning. "A different design, but yeah."

"Can't say I'm surprise." He turned away and poured himself another cup, Sharingan deactivating immediately.

"What does it mean?"

"It means he experienced a grief like you can't even imagine, enough that it caused a manifestation. It affected his Sharingan, taking it to a whole other level. His eyes have surpassed Itachi's, now. Though…" He looked thoughtful for a brief moment. "I suppose Itachi knew that would happen."

The katana collection wasn't the only reason why he wanted Shisui to train Sasuke. Sakura allowed a wry smile to curve her lips and she shook her head. "Always one step ahead, huh?"

Shisui chuckled. "He was thinking like a Hokage at the age of seven, so it shouldn't surprise me."

Thinking like a Hokage at… She looked at Shisui with wide eyes. "You're kidding."

"Nope." He grinned proudly, yet wistfully. "That kid bested everyone I know."

"Amazing," she murmured, still in a state of shock.

The grin faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him looking as though he was feeling hollow on the inside, like something massive was missing. "He wanted to become Hokage. Dreamed of it ever since he was a kid."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Another cup of sake went down. Followed by another. The flush on his cheeks was hard to miss, as was the increased slur in his speech. "Never mentioned it often or kicked up a fuss about it, but I could tell it meant a lot to him."

It was sad to know that his dream had never become a reality. However, he was being remembered as someone who was at the level of Hokage, if not even greater. The only reason why his name wasn't being engraved into the Hokage's Cenotaph, was merely because it had never been official and it would screw up the history books for children in the Academy. Not only that, but despite how amazing he had been, Itachi was never Hokage.

Shisui breathed in deeply, like he was fighting an impossible battle for composure. "I feel like I'm missing an arm, or something."

And that was when he broke down. Whether it was because of the alcohol or because it was the first time in weeks that he'd left his home and faced the fact that his best friend was well and truly gone, Uchiha Shisui broke down in her apartment.

He cried like a lost child and when she reached out for him, he fell against her with his face buried in her neck and his arms holding her with impressive, bordering on painful strength, but she didn't complain. Not when he needed it.

She shushed him gently, her fingers running through his hair in a tender way, in the same way her mother had often done for her as a child when she'd been upset. It aided in calming him after a while, as did the soft rocking motion. Even when the loud wails of intense anguish subsided, he continued to hold onto her, to breathe in her scent and seek her comfort, soaking it up completely.

The only thing she'd been totally unprepared for was the sudden feeling of his lips on her neck. It was a single brush of his lips, one that could be pushed aside as an accident, but then it happened again. And again. And again until Sakura realised those lips were making a trail upwards, making their way up to her jaw, down to her chin and then finally, to her lips.

His eyes were shut as his parted lips hovered over hers and she could smell the strong, unmistakable stench of sake on his breath.

"Shisui-san…" she whispered, unable to make her voice any louder. "You don't want this."

"I do," came his soft reply. It stunned her to hear such vulnerability so clear in his voice. "I need this, Sakura. I need you."

Sakura. He'd called her Sakura without any added honorific.

The kiss wasn't sweet or romantic. It wasn't beautiful or perfect. It was heart-shatteringly painful, conveying all of his hurt as Shisui pushed her down and into the sofa, leaning over her on his elbows as he followed.

Body pressing down onto hers and his lips insistent and rough, Sakura allowed herself to get lost in it all, not stopping him as he shoved her skirt up around her waist, as he pushed his pants and underwear down in rough jerking motions. She didn't even stop him when he yanked on her underwear until the fabric became stretched and loose enough to be pushed aside comfortably.

It was painful. It hurt like hell both physically and emotionally, but she knew it felt so much worse for him. It was like she could feel everything he was feeling in that moment. All of his grief, all of his sorrow and anguish. She could feel how empty he felt inside.

Her arms came around his shoulders, bringing him down and her legs wrapped around his waist. The force of his thrusts had her body jerking upwards, had the top of her head repeatedly banging against the arm of her sofa, but it felt wrong to try and change position, like it would break the moment entirely and they would never get it back.

And soon enough, pain made way for pleasure and she buried her face into his shoulder, unable to hold back the moan that left her bruised and swollen lips. It would hurt in the morning, part of her warned darkly. It would hurt more ways than one. But it didn't stop her from whispering encouragements into his ear, didn't stop her hand from trailing down to his ass, gripping it tightly as she met his thrust halfway.

Arm going beneath her, his hand grabbed her shoulder, holding her still as he let loose completely, thrusts becoming wild and without rhythm, leaving her unable to do anything but hold on and cry out in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

Then finally, with trembling hips, he met his finish line and collapsed on top of her, totally spent and breathing harshly, like he'd just gone through a devastatingly brilliant experience.

She shut her eyes, panting for breath and fingers once more running through his hair. It didn't matter that he hadn't brought her to orgasm. Something like that seemed rather pointless in a moment like this.

But then that moment shattered and he sat up onto his knees, eyes going wide as it hit him suddenly.

"I'm sorry." His hands came up to his face, shielding his eyes before he rubbed at his face roughly, angrily. "I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm so, so sorry. I-"

Tiredly, her hand fisted in his shirt and she used her enhanced strength to bring him back down on top of her, where she then wrapped her arms around him comfortingly.

"It's okay, Shisui." It felt appropriate to drop the honorific, considering all that had just happened. "You needed it."

His face was once more pressed into her neck. "But you…"

"Needed it, too," she murmured.

There was a single nod, followed by an uncomfortable pause. "Do you want me to leave, or…?"

Her eyes drifted open, staring up at her ceiling. "Do you want to leave?"

"No." He sighed and his weight increased, like he'd given up completely. "I don't want to be alone."

"Stay as long as you need to, whenever you want to." Her heart felt heavy for him, as she knew what that loneliness felt like. "I'm here for you."

Slowly, his arms came around her and he twisted them around so that they were on their sides, still facing one another. Dark eyes assessed her features, warming and she found that he was still very much under the influence, because he suddenly told her, "You've always been a beautiful woman, Haruno Sakura. Your heart's more beautiful-er, though."

A teasing, tired smirk lifted her lips. "That's not a word, Shisui."

"Hn." He shut his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. "It is now."

"If you say so." Their breathing slowed, exhaustion taking over.

* * *

There was absolutely no sympathy in her as she brought the plate and glass down onto the coffee table with an unnecessary bang and when the shinobi who had been sleeping soundly on her sofa jolted, sitting up, she smiled sweetly.

"Sakura-"

"Eat up, Shisui," she ordered, hands on hips. "You need your strength."

His own hand came up to his head and Shisui winced, eyes filling with regret and pain. "Man, my head hurts."

"Oh?" He thought his head hurt? A measly hangover was nothing compared to the pain between her thighs – something she was doing her best to ignore. It hadn't been her first time, but it felt like it was. Her earlier examination while in the shower found a couple of tears, which she mended immediately. Still, she didn't blame him and widened her sweet smile. "Would you like to compare?"

A heavy blush stained his cheeks. "About last night…"

Her smile dimmed and Sakura sighed, sitting down beside him. "How about we leave the heavy stuff for another time, Shisui?" When he looked down at her, frowning, she did her best to reassure him with her expression. "Right now we should focus on getting through the day, right?"

The frown on his face deepened and he glanced back at the breakfast she had prepared for him. Not for the first time, it made her assess his appearance critically, with a medic's eye, and she wondered when the last time he ate was. It certainly explained how he got so drunk so easily – they hadn't even finished the bottle.

"Thank you, but I'm not-"

"Don't tell me you're not hungry, Shisui." Her sickly sweet smile returned. "I've dealt with difficult patients before and force fed many of them. Just because you're not my patient, it won't stop me from doing the same now."

"Why are you doing this?" He sighed deeply.

Again, the smile dimmed until it faded away to nothing and Sakura also sighed, looking out of her window. It was way past nine in the morning now, though because she was in such a peaceful area of the village, they couldn't even hear the market. All they could hear was the occasional person walking by, or the sounds of the door to the dango shop beside her apartment building opening and closing.

Her eyes saddened. "You promised Itachi-san you would help Sasuke-kun, Shisui." She heard his breath leave him like he'd been punched and she met his gaze once more, unsurprised to see that his eyes were wide. "But right now, you need help, too. So to help you keep your final promise to Itachi-san, I want to help you as best as I can."

Shisui chuckled humourlessly and scratched the back of his head, eyes downcast. "You really do have a beautiful heart, you know."

To try and lighten the mood, she asked teasingly, "Is it more beautiful-er than my appearance?"

Another blushed raged across his cheeks and it amused her to see that he was so easy to tease, as it certainly wasn't what she would have expected after hearing all the rumours about him. According to the villagers, Uchiha Shisui was supposed to be an emotionless robot who was an unstoppable force, someone who was one of the greatest prodigies to come from the Uchiha Clan, someone who was rumoured to have eyes almost as powerful as _the_ Uchiha Madara's.

"Thank you for being there last night, Sakura," Shisui murmured, the blush draining. "But you don't have to do this."

"Have to?" she repeated and then tapped her chin, appearing thoughtful. "Have to… Nope. I'm not doing this because I have to." Green eyes met black and she gave him a small smile. "I'm doing this because Itachi-san would appreciate someone looking out for his best friend. Not only that, but…"

He frowned. "But?"

She smiled again. This time, it was less forced and genuine. "But because I like you, Shisui. You're the total opposite of what everyone makes you out to be and I don't want you to wither away like a wilting flower. There's nothing more tragic."

Again, Shisui looked away and back at the food, sighing as he did so. "I honestly don't have much of an appetite, Sakura. I don't mean to offend you, but I…"

Sakura nodded in understanding. Even though her cooking wasn't the best in the world, she knew it wasn't because of that, that Shisui was rejecting the food. She knew how that hollowness inside made a person feel, after both experiencing it and witnessing it.

"After how much you drank last night, you have to understand that I can't let you leave without at least eating something." Just when he was about to argue, she cut him off, saying, "So how about we eat half each?"

Shisui sighed, but resigned to her request, slowly picking up the chopsticks and breaking them apart. After watching him take the first bite, she swiftly stood and left the living room, grabbing an extra pair of chopsticks from the kitchen before joining him once more. It looked like he was genuinely struggling with breakfast and it had her expression saddening again.

"Have you eaten much in the past few weeks, Shisui?" He shook his head. "You haven't left the house much either, have you?" Another shake of his head. "You know… If it helps any…" She slowed in reaching for another bite of food, unable to meet his questioning gaze. "I haven't been coping too well, either."

When there was no reply, she sighed and sat back into the sofa, lowering her chopsticks to her thighs. "I know I didn't know Itachi-san very well, but in the months that I was his personal medic, it was like I saw a side to him that outsiders couldn't see, you know?" There was a nod. "It's against hospital rules… but I started viewing Itachi-san as more than a patient. I saw him as a friend and…" Tears threatened to fill her eyes. "It hurts so much that I couldn't stop it, that I couldn't do anything."

Like she had, Shisui gave up with eating, placing his chopsticks down onto the plate as he joined her in sitting back against the sofa. Vaguely, Sakura wondered if he could smell the faint scent of sex on it, too, but if he could, then Shisui didn't say anything about it.

"Nobody blames you for being unable to cure him, Sakura," he murmured softly. "We all… Eventually, we accepted it for how it was, despite how much it hurt. In fact, I've only heard positive things about you from his family. Before he passed, Mikoto-san wanted to thank you somehow, for working so tirelessly with them, but…" She saw his jaw clench, saw how the muscles in his neck strained and she could tell that his throat was burning. "They're not exactly…"

In any mood to thank her just yet. Sakura knew that already, but was thankful that he tried to comfort her. Absentmindedly, her fingers played with the chopsticks in her hand, twirling them around and around expertly and they were both transfixed by the blur of movement.

Then, he smiled wistfully. "I understand why Itachi chose you as his personal medic, now."

It hadn't been because Sasuke recommended her? Sakura frowned and the chopstick came to an abrupt halt, being caught between two of her fingers. "Oh?"

"You're soothing." His eyes met hers and she saw the lightness in them. "And you're right, too."

"I always am," she replied teasingly. "What am I right about this time, though?"

He smirked tiredly. "I need to be there for Sasuke. It's my final promise to him – no, it was his final request to me."

Concern laced her features. "Perhaps so, but right now, you need to take care of yourself, too. You can't be shouldering Sasuke-kun's pain on top of your own."

"You mean how you're shouldering mine on top of your own?"

Damn. He had her there. Even still, she had to try and argue with him. Their pain was far greater than hers – it would be too much for him to handle alone. "Shisui, please. Itachi-san wouldn't expect this of you so soon."

Instead of listening, Shisui huffed and stood up, only to sway suddenly and Sakura could tell in that single moment that the past weeks were catching up on him. Last night's activities wouldn't be helping, either.

Sighing just as the backs of his legs hit the sofa, she stood up and stopped his loss of balance by wrapping her arms around his middle, holding him up and in place. His hand came to her shoulder, more than likely about to push her away, but then that grip tightened and she felt his cheek pressing against the top of her head.

When his arms wrapped around her tightly, she sighed. "I hope you know that I'm not going to leave you alone. Even if you tell me to go away, I won't."

His voice was low, almost rough, as he replied with clear exhaustion, "Has anyone ever told you how stubborn you are?"

"Many times." Despite wanting to see his expression at that moment, instinct told her to keep hold of him. It would ruin what was happening between them, otherwise. "If you're really so intent on helping Sasuke-kun right now, then please let me help you at the same time, Shisui."

"Why?" His voice was even quieter now and there was a soft shake to it. The hand closest to her hip tangled in her shirt as the grip grew tighter. "Why would you go so far for me?"

"I told you already, Shisui!" Shutting her eyes to block out their surroundings, she told him, "I like you. I like who you are. I like that you're completely different than what people make you out to be."

"Sakura…"

"You don't have to answer it just yet. You're still grieving and it wouldn't be fair to demand answers, but just know, Shisui…" Turning her head, she pressed her forehead to his chest. His scent wasn't pleasant. He smelled like a man who'd been drinking too much, like a man who hadn't been able to find the strength to shower. "I have always admired you, even back before I saw the real you."

Hesitantly, warily, the hand gripping her shirt loosened, slowly trailing up her back until his fingers began to play with the ends of her hair. She wished more than anything that she could read his mind. "I don't feel like I can bounce back from this one. I never imagined…"

"Then lean on me as much as you need to!" Sakura all but begged. "I mean it, Shisui. You can borrow my strength for as long as you need. Just please promise me one thing."

Her hair slipped from his fingers. "What is it?"

"Please try to take care of yourself." When he raised his head, she raised hers, settling him with a deadpan as she drawled, "You stink."

Shisui also deadpanned. "Give me a break, Sakura, it's been a rough few weeks."

"And you couldn't find it in yourself to shower?" Rolling her eyes, she pulled away, but soon grabbed his hand and dragged him in the direction of her bathroom. "Come on, you can use my bath and while you're washing away who knows how many weeks of dirt, I'll wash your clothes for you, too."

There was no use in resisting her, she could tell that he figured that out. Hopefully he could understand that she was trying to make the mood lighter for him, too. Like she'd told him: it wasn't fair to spring everything on him while he was so vulnerable.

Her feelings had always remained hidden beneath her professional persona, masked beneath her concern and determination to take care of Itachi. However, as she watched Shisui working just as hard to take care of his best friend, there was no denying that her heart had skipped a few beats just before it continuously broke for them all. It wasn't fair of her, but she had secretly leaned on Shisui during those healing sessions.

Was it why she had sought comfort from him when Itachi had passed away? Was it why she cried into his chest, instead of seeking comfort from Sasuke, who was also in pain?

"You really don't have to do that-"

A small smile graced her lips. Fortunately, they would have plenty of time to explore whatever it was that was growing between them. It hadn't been until last night that Sakura even realised she felt anything towards Uchiha Shisui. Maybe it was fate that had her move into the apartment building beside the dango store he and Itachi had often frequented? Maybe it was fate that she had happened to find him standing opposite said shop last night?

Only time would tell.

"Don't be such a prude!" she scolded and suddenly shoved him into her bathroom, following shortly and shutting the door behind them. "Are you forgetting what happened last night? Not to mention you fell asleep with your pants around your knees. Did you think they magically pulled themselves up?"

A heavy blush stained his cheeks, travelling to the tips of his ears and the back of his neck. "I… didn't think of that."

"Precisely." Stepping over to her bath, she switched on the water, waiting until it was hot before shoving the plug in. "Now, strip. I'll see if I can get rid of that stench from your clothes."

Yes, time would tell, but for now, his heart needed healing.

 _Don't worry, Itachi-san. I'll take good care of him for you, but also for him, too. I'll lend him my strength so that he can keep that promise!_


	2. Story 2: Back to the Future

**Story 2  
Prompt: "Slight ItaSaku. During Danzo's fight with Shisui, he gets sent to the future around the 4** **th** **war." – Requested by Uchiha Misaki.  
Rating: T**

* * *

So this was it.

This was where it all ended for him.

Breathing out a sigh, Shisui shut his eyes. He accepted it. He accepted what had to happen, despite how unfortunate and unfair it all was. The only thing he would change, if it was even possible at this point, was the fate of his clan.

A sharp, searing pain flooded his head – no, his eyes and instinctively, they snapped open as Shisui tried to detect where the pain was coming from, but it was impossible. There was nothing. He couldn't see anything other than a harsh, brilliant white light that seemed to be all around him, no matter where he looked (or tried to look).

" _You truly are a selfless man."_

Who said that? His eyebrows mashed together as Shisui once more tried to look around, squinting. It wasn't Danzo's voice, or his ROOT operatives'.

" _I will alter your course because of this,"_ came that same voice and he whirled around, sensing it coming from behind him. There was no one there. " _You will not die today, Uchiha Shisui."_

What?

What was-

Suddenly, he was falling.

The harsh white light vanished, replaced with a stunning blue sky and a glaring sun, but none of that mattered in that moment because he was falling and there was no way to stop his descent. There was nothing to grab onto, nothing to use!

A woman screamed.

He recognised the Hokage monument.

And then pain exploded from all over his body as everything faded to black.

* * *

" _Itachi, please calm down-"_

" _Please do not get in my way. You are the last person I want to hurt."_

Itachi?

Who was he arguing with? A woman, obviously, but why? The last Shisui had heard, Itachi had been on a mission. Why was he back in the village and why was he arguing with a woman? One he obviously knew and cared for, since he didn't want to cause her any harm.

They were outside of wherever he was, their voices muted slightly due to the wall separating them. Shisui attempted to open his eyes and look, but found himself unable to. It was a horrifying realisation, one that rooted him in his spot with paralysing fear. Why couldn't he see anything? What was happening?

" _He needs to rest-"_

" _He has been missing for over eight years. Do not stop me."_

What?

 _What?_

Shisui willed himself to calm down, though was powerless to control his own breathing as he began hyperventilating. It was at that moment that he breathed in the scent of the hospital, of blood and death and bleach and medicines. It was then that he heard the beeping of a heart monitor, which was steadily picking up its pace as his heart began to race.

Still, he could not see.

The door slid open fast and he flinched as it slammed open.

"Shisui-san," spoke a woman and he heard her footsteps rapidly approaching until her hands fell to his arms, trying to calm him. "Please, don't try to move."

Move? He couldn't! It felt like every single bone in his body had been broken twice. Just the thought of moving was enough to make him feel nauseous.

A hand left one of his arms a second before he felt a single finger pressing to his chest, keeping him pinned to the bed. What the hell kind of monstrous strength did this woman possess? It was terrifying!

"Sakura, allow me."

Itachi.

"Itachi?" Shisui wasn't surprised by how raspy his own voice sounded.

There was a sigh and he could sense the reluctance as the woman named Sakura released him, stepping away. Itachi took her place – he could sense him standing over the bed. That kid had always had a powerful, unignorable presence, after all.

"Where have you been, Shisui?" Itachi asked quietly. He didn't fail to notice that his tone and emotions were guarded. "It has been eight years."

Impossible! It felt like it had only been five minutes since he was fighting with Danzo. Now everything felt so disorientating and confusing and he didn't like it one bit. Shisui was someone who needed stability, or as much stability as one could have with being a shinobi. Without it, there was nothing to hold a person up.

"What happened?" he asked.

Another sigh. More than anything, Shisui wished he could open his eyes and see the world around him. Had it truly been eight years?

"You fell," Itachi replied simply. It made his previous words more real, as his voice was a hell of a lot deeper than when they last spoke. "You disappeared eight years ago and yesterday, all of a sudden, you fell from the sky and landed on top of the Hokage Tower."

Wow, that must have been a dramatic sight to see. "My sight…"

It was the woman – Sakura – who spoke this time, her voice apologetic and soft. "I'm sorry, Shisui-san, but your eyes were burned horrifically. Tsunade-shishou attempted to repair the damage, however…" He heard a shift of fabric and imagined she was running a hand through her hair, or doing something else that showed her agitation. "Itachi has been helping us, giving us as much information about the Mangekyō Sharingan as possible…"

Itachi carried on where she left off. "They were unable to save your Sharingan, Shisui. At best, they were able to save your eyes and soon enough, you will be able to see again."

His Sharingan…

Why? Why was this happening? Why was he eight years into the future, banged up and laying in a hospital bed, without his most powerful weapon? What was the point in any of it? It would have been better if he was defeated in battle by Danzo!

"We're not sure what happened to them," Sakura tried to explain. "It's like a massive surge of chakra was forced through the chakra pathways and it's completely destroyed them. It's too soon to say that you'll never be able to send chakra to your eyes, but it's also highly unlikely that you'll be able to." It stunned him when the side of his hospital bed dipped and suddenly, her voice was closer. "To put it in simpler terms: it's like there was a blockage and you attempted to force the chakra through it, but with nowhere to go, the chakra grew and grew before forcibly finding an exit."

So basically, he had more or less made the chakra pathways in his eyes explode. How, though? That was what he couldn't understand. Shisui was not one to be arrogant, but his control on chakra had always been superb, so he'd always been extremely proud of himself for that. It was rare for him to lose that control, especially when it concerned his eyes. His Sharingan was precious to him. It made him who he was.

"Danzo…"

He could sense their pause in reply, could sense their hesitancy and confusion.

"What about Danzo-sama?"

Disappointment welled within him. It seemed nothing had changed there, then. "Is he…?"

"Alive and well." He could almost hear Sakura's frown. "In fact, he's in a meeting right now with Tsunade-shishou."

So he was still on the council, too. "I see."

Oh, the irony of those two simple words.

Another pause. Then, she told him, "Tsunade-shishou will be here afterwards to examine you and make sure you're healing properly. She'll also be able to give you a rundown of what to expect and how your treatment will go. She's much more skilled than I am-"

"Stop putting yourself down, Sakura," Itachi chided. "You are just as skilled as Hokage-sama. All you need is the experience."

Wait, what? Hokage? What the hell had happened in the past eight years? Were they talking about Tsunade as in Senju Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin? Why was she Hokage? Last Shisui had heard: she left the village not long after her lover's death, which left her traumatised and unable to continue being a medic-nin. What happened to the Sandaime?

"There is a lot you have missed, Shisui," Itachi murmured, his voice losing its guarded edge and Shisui could hear the regret and sadness. "But it is good to have you home, finally."

Poor kid. He would have had to deal with the trouble and the hatred between their clan and the village-

Shit!

"What about the clan?" he asked, heart in his throat. Oh, Gods… What if it was because of the clan that there was another Hokage? Had they done something to the Sandaime? "What happened to Sandaime-sama?"

Not for the first time, there was a pause, one that dragged out for far too long and it left him feeling numb on the inside, realisation dawning on him.

"Sandaime-sama… died around three years ago, now." They hadn't acted as quickly as he had thought they would, then. Shisui sighed and his head fell back against the too soft pillow. "He was defeated in battle by Orochimaru."

It was as he expected-

Wait, what?

Sensing his confusion, Itachi continued. "Your sudden disappearance managed to stall the clan long enough for me to dissuade them from their plans. Around five years later, during the chunin exams, Orochimaru infiltrated the village…"

He listened intently, soaking in all the information he had somehow missed in the past eight years. During the history lesson, Shisui felt a magnitude of sorrow and anger as he heard all about the horrors that had happened. From infiltrations and destructions of their village, to deaths and betrayal and heartbreak.

"Sasuke left the village, huh?"

A powerful aura of despair and vulnerability came from the two in his hospital room. From Itachi, it didn't surprise him in the least, because Sasuke was his baby brother, the boy he'd always promised to protect and care for, to always look out for. It had to be agonising! From Sakura, however, it surprised him. From the way they were speaking with one another both outside and inside the room, Shisui had assumed that something was going on between her and Itachi, but that no longer seemed to be true. Her heartbreak was too real, too apparent, to be from mere friendship. Had she possibly loved Sasuke?

"Yes," Itachi murmured quietly.

Masking his disappointment was difficult – no, it was downright impossible. He had watched that kid grow up!

He had missed so much and for that, Shisui felt angry with himself. Questions such as what if swirled around in his head. What if he hadn't disappeared for eight years? Would Sarutobi Hiruzen still be alive? Would Sasuke be home, where he belonged? Would Itachi have gone through so much struggle and pain? Would he be so weary?

That wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part was the more recent developments.

Konoha had been utterly destroyed by just one man, by someone who had insane abilities. With just one blast of chakra, the whole of Konoha was annihilated. Many had died in his search for the Kyuubi, including many of their clansmen who were tied to the Kyuubi, who had absolutely refused to give in, who had absolutely refused to betray their comrade.

It was that very same boy, the vessel for the Kyuubi, who managed to bring them all back to life by defeating the attacker – Pein or Nagato, it was hard keeping up with the names when so much information was being shared.

"We should let you rest," Sakura stated an hour later. Her voice was low and rough, like she was fiercely holding back huge emotions that were threatening to take over. "Tsunade-shishou will be here soon and she'll kick our asses if you're worn out because of us."

Shishou, huh? So if he was remembering correctly, then there was a new generation of the Sannin. Tsunade's disciple being Sakura, Orochimaru's being Sasuke and Jiraiya's being Naruto. It certainly explained the strength Sakura had shared earlier when she pinned him with a single finger.

"Come on, Itachi," she murmured and stood from her place on the edge of his hospital bed.

There was a pause and a shift of fabric, like she was tugging on his shirt, or something of the sort. How close were they? What was their relationship? The last thing Shisui remembered in regards to Itachi's personal relationships, was that an Uchiha was in love with him. Izumi, if he wasn't mistaken. Had something happened to her? Did Itachi not return her feelings, despite being fond of her?

"I will be back later, Shisui," Itachi promised.

"Yeah," he replied quietly. There was still so much he needed to find out. "See you."

* * *

A more technical explanation, huh?

"Simply put: you've fried your chakra pathways beyond repair and at the moment, I don't have time to go head-to-head with Fugaku to try and find more out about the Mangekyō because in a few days' time, I will be going to a Kage Summit. It will determine whether or not there will be another Great Shinobi War."

The woman really was as blunt and as careless as her reputation said her to be.

"I will assign Sakura as your personal medic, as she is my student and I can trust that she will do her utmost best to aid in your recovery." A pause. The sound of paper being shuffled around. Perhaps a clipboard? "Expect the elders of both the village and your clan to be on your back about your disappearance. Danzo was especially interested when he heard of your return – the old bastard hasn't plagued my office with his presence in years."

Oh?

Before he could ask any questions, Tsunade made a sound of annoyance and slammed the clipboard onto the table beside his bed, startling him.

"Goddamn amateurs! Who the hell writes notes like this? It's a joke!" She was yelling, her voice booming and echoing around the room. Shisui was certain he could hear medics scurrying away, doing their best to avoid her wrath and he couldn't blame them. "I will be back shortly. I'd say don't go anywhere, but you won't be moving for a while."

The door slammed shut without warning.

Shisui could only lay there in stunned silence, slowly breathing out a sigh as the dominating and loud presence left him alone.

* * *

She didn't return and he brushed it off as her being swept off her feet with Hokage duties, not to mention the fact that there was a summit soon. The situation had to be bad if the Kage had agreed to a meeting and he understood completely that she was too busy to fill him in on the situation with his eyes.

It didn't mean he wasn't annoyed by it, because it was frustrating knowing that he would never be able to use his Sharingan again, or that he would be lucky enough to be able to _see_ ever again. However, he understood that some things just couldn't be helped. It was ridiculous to expect the Hokage, of all people, to drop everything to be by his side. There could be a war, for goodness sake!

There was no telling how long he was alone for before the door to his room slid open. For a few moments, there was silence and Shisui did his best to try and figure out who it was. When he heard the sound of the clipboard beside him being lifted, he passed it off as it being one of the medics.

Then the side of his bed dipped as it had hours earlier.

"Sakura-san?"

He could hear the smile in her voice, no matter how tired she sounded. "It's me. Sorry to surprise you, Shisui-san."

"Do you make it a habit to sit on your patient's beds?" he teased quietly, voice rough. "Or am I lucky?"

Laughter. It was a melodic sound that took years away from her, making her sound carefree and happy, nothing like the woman from a few hours ago, who had been sad and in pain.

"Sorry," she apologised and there was a hint of embarrassment to her tone. "I feel like I know you somewhat."

"Oh?"

"Itachi is always talking about you," Sakura informed him, her voice happy and wistful. "So I feel like I know you, in a way." A pause and the smile in her voice returned. "I can't imagine how happy he is to have you back."

Faintly, his heart warmed. So Itachi hadn't been alone, then. There had been someone to look out for him emotionally. "Thank you for taking care of him."

Another pause.

It was aggravating that he couldn't read her expression to understand what kind of pause it was. Was it surprise? Happiness? Sadness?

Then, she told him softly, "It's not like that." Surprise must have been obvious on him, because Sakura continued. "Sasuke-kun leaving… It brought us together, I'll admit, but not in that way. You see, Sasuke-kun had left and Naruto left to train with Jiraiya-sama and…" He was guessing the minute shake of the bed was her shrugging. "We just… came together."

Ah, so it was complicated. "Then what about Izumi-san?"

"Izumi-san?" She then hummed thoughtfully and he could hear her tapping what was more than likely a finger to her chin. "I see her around sometimes, but Itachi doesn't really speak about her that much, if at all. He's a private person when it comes to his love life."

That Shisui could understand. It made him smile, also. Hopefully, Itachi had allowed Izumi into his heart, then. Despite what the kid thought-

It was strange to think Itachi was no longer a kid. Neither was Sasuke, which was even stranger.

"You were Sasuke's teammate?"

The lightness of the atmosphere instantly disappeared and part of Shisui regretted bringing Sasuke up. It was obvious his betrayal still hurt Sakura. At the same time, however, he needed to know more. What the hell was going through Sasuke's mind to abandon his family and friends? Couldn't he see how much they cared for him?

"I was." Sadness was obvious in her tone and he wondered what her expression would be like. Would she be smiling wistfully? Frowning? Close to tears? "And I was in love with him for pretty much all my life."

It made her strong connection with Itachi just that little bit clearer. They bonded through their grief and pain and love for that boy. "Was?"

A deep sigh and he felt her hand press down on the other side of his legs, pressing down into the thin mattress and making it clear that she was leaning on it. "I've come to realise that while I love him, I'm not _in_ love with him, if that makes any sense. I thought I loved him with all my heart and his leaving broke it into tiny pieces, but…" This time, he knew for a fact that she shrugged. "It hurts a little less every day."

"What about Itachi?" he asked quietly.

She laughed. "Nope, I'm not in love with him, either."

He breathed out a single chuckle. "No, I meant: how does Itachi feel? About Sasuke?"

The laughter died down and he could sense her embarrassment again. "Oh… Um… I think it stills hurts him a lot, you know? He was out of the village when Sasuke-kun left – I think Sasuke-kun actually waited for that moment to leave, because he knew Itachi would stop him."

Yes, Shisui was certain of that, too.

"That was how Itachi and I started talking," she informed him without being pushed. "As soon as he returned and found out that Sasuke-kun had left, he came straight to me, because I was the last one to see him." A tired sigh. "But I wasn't much help, just like I couldn't stop Sasuke-kun, either."

"Don't beat yourself up about it," Shisui murmured and he also sighed. "Sasuke showed a lot of potential the last time I saw him. I can only imagine how much he has improved."

It sounded like she was smiling again. "I broke down in front of Itachi – I think he thought that he'd broken me somehow, because for the longest time, he was frozen, like he didn't know what to do."

That made sense to him. Itachi… As intelligent as he was, he still struggled immensely with bonds and emotions. Everyone threw around the label 'genius' and yes, Itachi did fall under that category, but there was just as much that he didn't understand. Nobody was perfect, after all.

"He ended up staying with me for hours after that," Sakura continued softly, almost like she was lost in her thoughts. "After I calmed down, he apologised for coming on so strong and told me he was simply worried about Sasuke-kun and what he had gotten himself involved in." He wasn't the only one, Shisui added inwardly. "We talked for a while and tried to get our heads around the fact that Sasuke-kun had really left us – and willingly, too." Another sigh. "I think that's what hurt us the most, actually. The fact that nobody forced him to leave, or kidnapped him or anything of the sort. Sasuke-kun walked out of those gates by himself and beat our other teammate, Naruto, to within an inch of his life when he tried to stop him."

Naruto was the Kyuubi vessel, he reminded himself. It was a shame, really. They could have achieved so much together as a team, especially since they were taught by Hatake Kakashi, if his memory was not mistaken. It was sad that Sasuke felt as though he needed to go to someone like Orochimaru to gain more power, when really, all he had needed to do was speak to his older brother. Shisui honestly couldn't think of a better teacher for Sasuke than Itachi, the brother he adored and practically worshipped!

Then again, that was probably what had pushed him into leaving and wanting more power. Feeling inferior to his older brother.

Shisui sighed and attempted to stretch his muscles, but was annoyed to find that his body still wasn't responding to his movements.

"Sakura-san?"

"Yes?"

"Please be honest with me." At her hum of agreement, he then asked, "Am I paralysed?"

The smile in her voice returned. "No. It's just a sedative one of the medics gave to you. You fell from an impressive height, Shisui-san. You're lucky that the ANBU guarding Tsunade-shishou softened your crash landing somewhat. Had they have left you, you'd be dead right now."

At his responding silence, he felt her reach out and grasp his calf, giving a gentle squeeze. "See? You can feel that, can't you?" Yes, he could, Shisui realised with a deep sigh of relief. "And as soon as you're up and running and your eyes are healed, I'm going to work as hard as I can to try and bring back your Sharingan, too."

Even though it seemed like a long shot, her promise was spoken so fiercely that it was hard _not_ to believe in her.

* * *

Five days later and he was leaving the hospital. No, he was walking out of the hospital.

By his side, with her arm linked through his so that she could guide him, was Sakura. Shisui could understand why Itachi had taken a liking to her, too. Something about disappointing her struck you hard, making you want to try even harder to keep that from happening. At the same time, while doing that, it kept you strong. It made you able to keep promises, because she gave you her own strength to hold you up. Having her around was a major motivation.

She worked with him tirelessly to restore all the movement within his body, constantly healing him of all pains no matter how small and unimportant they seemed.

Itachi would have been with them, but he had been asked to accompany Tsunade to the Kage Summit – something that didn't surprise Shisui in the least. That kid was powerful and he was almost desperately waiting for his sight to return so he could see for himself how much stronger Itachi had become. It would be insane, no doubt about that. He'd always been a fast learner and Shisui was eager to see what he was like now.

Not only that, but he was also eager to see the woman who was practically glued to his hip lately. Her voice was soft and slightly childish. Since it was rude to ask a woman her age, Shisui was guessing that she was the same age as Sasuke – sixteen. The way she spoke made Sakura sound so much older, though. She was definitely mature for her age.

He wondered how pretty she was. Would she look like her namesake? It seemed quite a silly thought. Nobody's hair was naturally pink, after all! And what about her eyes? Shisui would be lying if he said he wasn't a sucker for pretty eyes.

"Sakura!"

They came to a standstill as somebody approached them, pausing only a few feet away from them. It was crazy how much his other senses sharpened now that he couldn't see.

"Where've you been?" There was a pause and he guessed that Sakura must have gestured to him, or made an expression that stated how stupid the other woman had to be. "Oh…" Then, she perked up, saying, "Have you heard the news?"

"What news?" Sakura asked and he could hear the frown in her voice. "Has Tsunade-sama returned?"

It was obvious the other girl was grinning now. "Yeah and guess who she found on her way home?" Even Shisui found himself anxiously awaiting the answer to the question. "Sasuke-kun!"

Beside him, he felt her grow weak at the knees, so held onto the arm looped through his own tighter, allowing Sakura to lean on him as she digested the news. "He's… home?"

"Yeah!" The other girl was giddy now. "Tsunade-sama probably dragged him home by the collar of his shirt, too."

From that brief meeting he'd had with her, it truly wouldn't have surprised Shisui in the least if that had happened. However, he had a sneaking suspicion that it was Itachi who did the dragging, right after he put his childish brother back into his place.

"Are you coming?" she asked.

He felt her shake her head, her hair brushing against his arm. So Sakura had long hair, he noted.

"It would be best to give Sasuke-kun some space, Ino," came her quiet reply. Had the news upset her? Why didn't Sakura sound happy? "Besides, you know his dad is going to kick his ass as soon as Shishou is done with him."

Oh, damn. Shisui hadn't even considered Fugaku and Mikoto's reaction to their son's betrayal to Konoha. How had they handled it? Was even more pressure mounted onto Itachi to make up for the disappointment? It was literally only the other day to him, no matter what others said about his eight years of disappearance, so he could remember how Itachi was treated and how much he had to deal with.

"Whatever." Oh, was there an eye-roll to go with that flippant reply? " _I'm_ going to see him."

Sakura snored at that. "Good luck with that."

There was an angered growl until Shisui felt something whip lightly across his face, taking him by total surprise. It felt like… hair? Either that Ino girl was way closer than he'd realised, or her hair was crazy long. Hopefully, it was the latter. It would be pitiful if he lost his skills as well as his Sharingan – like starting right from the very beginning all over again and that was something he definitely didn't have the patience for, not after everything he'd done and been through to get to where he was.

Tugging on his arm captured his attention and Shisui began walking once more at Sakura's insistence. Before Ino's interruption, she had been quiet but cheerful at the same time. It had been a comfortable silence. Now, however, it felt like the complete opposite. Sasuke's return was affecting her somehow and it seemed to be negatively.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She sighed like the weight of the world was on her shoulders and it made him frown inwardly. "I just can't believe he's really home this time."

Ah, the fights they'd had trying to bring him home, Shisui realised. Apparently Sakura was recalling them and he took a guess that she was wondering how badly injured he would be. "I'm sure it won't be too bad," he murmured in response. "Itachi would never cause more pain than necessary."

There was a hum of agreement, but Sakura still didn't sound too convinced. More than likely, there would be nothing that he could say to make her feel better.

He had to try.

"We can always stop off on the way-"

"I'm sorry, Shisui-san, but I really don't want to see Sasuke-kun right now," she told him quietly, her voice a near whisper. "I need time to think about it."

"I understand."

It had to be difficult, he supposed. To have a friend – no, to have someone you loved betray you and your village in such a way had to be agonising. On some level, Shisui understood, because he'd watched that kid growing up and he cared for him, too, but he knew that it was a totally different feeling to what Sakura was experiencing. She had told him that for pretty much her entire life, she'd been in love with him, or had at least believed that she was in love with him.

What would Sasuke's return do to her? Would it bring back old feelings? For some reason, the thought was unpleasant to him. He honestly believed that Sasuke, after all the pain he had put her through, didn't deserve somebody as kind-hearted as Sakura.

"Itachi said your home is still yours," Sakura told him in a change of subject, trying to lighten the mood and tension. Had she always done that? "Though, obviously, there's not going to be any food there. Would you like to pick some takeout up on the way?"

She had already explained to him that she would be staying with him. Since he had only just left the hospital and it would be some time before he regained his sight, a carer would be needed to help him get used to life without sight, even if it wasn't permanent. How else would food be prepared? How else would he bathe or get dressed? It was a horrific thought, but how else would he go to the bathroom? Up until now, he was hooked onto a catheter.

Oh, Gods, Shisui was dreading the moment he needed to go to the bathroom. Sure, he could always sit down, but it wasn't exactly comfortable. Then again, it was better than having her help him with aiming-

"Shisui-san?"

Right. He needed to reply. "Sounds good."

"You seem lost in your thoughts," she stated teasingly. "Anything good?"

Definitely not for her ears. "Not really."

Another smile entered her voice and it was like she was reading his mind, because she then said to him, "Try not to worry too much, Shisui-san. We'll have your sight back soon."

Oh, he hoped so.

* * *

Man…

After being cooped up in his hospital room for five days, he was wiped out by merely walking home!

Much to his gratefulness, somebody had cleaned out his home. Despite the fact that it felt like he'd only left it a few days ago, in actuality, it had been over eight years. When they arrived, all dust was wiped away and the windows were open to allow fresh air throughout the home. It made breathing easy.

Shisui was able to feel many stares on him as Sakura led him through the Uchiha district, more than what he was used to and it made him feel rather self-conscious. It didn't help that his Sharingan was gone, either. How long would it be before they heard the news? Did they already know? Did they know that he had gone from having the most dangerous Sharingan since Uchiha Madara, to nothing at all?

The woman leading him to his home was incredibly patient and understanding, but when it dawned on him that he was a failure, Shisui found that he wanted nothing more than to be left alone. He'd gone from being a genius, a prodigy, to absolutely nothing. He was worthless without his Sharingan. Pathetic. Pitiful.

"Okay, your bed is right here, just turn to the left." Sakura guided him backwards and then ordered, "Sit."

He had never felt more glad to be at home in his own bed. She even helped him beneath the covers and pulled them over him.

"I'll put the takeout away so you can have some later, okay?"

"Hn."

A pause. "Shisui-san?"

Another frown in her voice. He sighed tiredly. "Forgive me, Sakura-san. I…"

When he trailed off, she told him, "Don't worry about it. It's a lot to adjust to and take in, but don't you dare be getting too used to it, Uchiha Shisui. I told you we're getting your sight back, no matter how much sweat, blood and tears we have to put into it."

It was true that seeing was better than nothing at all, but part of him was aching over the loss of his Sharingan. Part of him agonised over the loss of his greatest weapon – it made him into who he was. How was he supposed to continue as a shinobi without it? It changed everything! Even… Even his feared body flicker techniques. Without the Sharingan, it was too risky to use, as he wouldn't be able to see or predict the enemy's moves and could fall straight into a trap.

What use was he now?

His darkening mood must have been obvious to her, because Sakura suddenly sighed, though not with annoyance or pity. It was more like… she was frustrated, but not at him. It sounded like she was frustrated with herself.

"I promise I'll work hard, Shisui-san."

What was the point?

"So don't you dare give it anything less than your absolute best."

Shisui was grateful for the bandages wrapped around his head and shielding his eyes, especially when they began to sting with the tell-tale signs of tears.

He wasn't even half of the person he used to be.

Suddenly the space behind him on the bed dipped like Sakura had thrown herself onto it, vaguely startling him. That surprise only grew when she wrapped her arms around his waist, face pressing against his back.

"Don't let this change who you are," she all but begged. "You are still Uchiha Shisui."

Forget that! What was she doing in his bed with him?

"I don't know what happened to you, or why," Sakura continued, "but everything happens for a reason, right?"

Well, he supposed, but…

"Sakura-san… I don't think that it is appropriate for you to be in my bed."

A soft, tinkering laughter filled the air, the sound of it taking a small amount of weight away from his heart. "It took you out of your brooding thoughts, though, didn't it?"

Oh, she was mischievous, was she? "That attitude will get you into trouble one day," he warned. The hold around his waist tightened and he prayed to the Gods that she would stop. There was only so much a man could take! "I could be a pervert who could take advantage of you."

She was that close that he could _feel_ her smirk. "I'm perfectly capable of defending myself."

The memory of her pinning him with just one finger flashed to the front of his mind and Shisui gulped, nonchalantly shielding his manhood with his hands. He seriously pitied any guy who tried to force themselves on Sakura or came on too strong, as he could only imagine how painful it would be – and he had a very strong idea that they would never come back down.

But…

She was right.

With just one movement – which definitely wasn't simple – she had taken his mind away from the darker thoughts.

This woman truly was something else.

"Sakura-san…"

She hummed and it surprised him that she sounded so exhausted so suddenly. Had he really been taking up so much of her time? Or was it more of an emotional exhaustion?

"Thank you for all that you've done and are still doing."

Her face turned, cheek pressing to his back and Shisui found himself relaxing. How was it even possible to feel so at ease with someone you had only known for five days? It felt like something out of an old story!

"Don't mention it," she mumbled sleepily. "I'm using this as an excuse to catch up on my sleep."

He smirked. That wasn't true and they both knew it.

And now he found himself more eager than ever to see her face, because if she was beautiful, too, then she had the whole package and he wouldn't think twice about any of this.

Shisui had always been a sucker for pretty eyes, after all.

* * *

 **A/N - This one will be in two parts, because it was getting crazy long and I personally don't like massive one-shots. Really, I think it would have been better as a multi-chapter story and perhaps one day, I'll make it one, but for now I'm pretty happy with how it's gone. It's surprisingly easy to get lost in the writing with this pairing, hence the kind of rushed ending.**

 **Anyway, hoped you all liked it!**

 **My internet keeps disconnecting itself, so it's possible that half the changes I made while editing this on here haven't been saved. I'm too exhausted to read through it.**


	3. Story 3: Run Away With Me

**Story 3**

 **Prompt: "Run away with me" – Requested by Ukatoemina  
Rating: T  
Warnings: mentions of suicide and attempted suicide.**

* * *

" _Do you understand what must happen, Sakura?"_

" _This is the only way to save our family."_

The wind tore through her hair, blowing it back and off her face and she shut her green eyes, breathing deeply. Being as high up as she was meant she could see the entire village, could see all the twinkling lights that stood out as the day made way for night. On the streets were various people going about their day, unaware of her watchful, melancholy presence at the top of the Hokage Monument.

Opening her eyes once more, she looked down at the village. She'd lived there her entire life – a whole seventeen years. In fact, yesterday had been her seventeenth birthday and how did her parents want to celebrate it?

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

They were forcing her to marry a man who was over twice her age, a man who had been married before and had kids, a man who had lost his wife through childbirth and was ready to move on mere weeks after the loss. He probably wanted someone to raise said children, to lighten his burden by shoving it onto someone else. In return, they would get money. More money than they could even count.

Did she want that? No. Did she have a choice? No.

Her soon-to-be husband was a wealthy civilian man, though he'd inherited all the money after his parents passed away. While he wasn't the patriarch or even an heir to the clan he was a part of, he was still important and his status was something to admire. It was something to respect.

As for her own family… Well, they'd hit rock bottom, to put it bluntly. Recently, her father had lost his job and with it, they lost all their money. Saying that her mother was unhappy was an understatement, but the fact that she didn't hide her displeasure anymore, the fact that she was basically selling her only daughter all because of money… There were no words to describe how disgusted Sakura was with her own mother, or how betrayed she felt.

How was she supposed to marry a man she didn't love? How was she supposed to marry him when she already had feelings for another?

Tiny stones tumbled down the aristocratic face of the Godaime at the slightest shift of her foot, gaining her attention and Sakura found herself fixated on the sight of them being swallowed up by the darkness below her. Since it was a way to evacuate civilians when they were under attack, there had never been any lights on the stairs below the faces of the previous Hokage. Risky, but it was safer than giving away the position of the vulnerable.

Suicide was selfish. It was the easy way out.

That was how Sakura had once viewed suicide. However, now she felt as though she could understand how those who were suicidal felt. It felt like there was no way out, that the only way to catch a break was to end it all. Sure, it was probably still an easy way out, but to those who were feeling that way, it was the _only_ way out – that they could see, anyway.

But to leave behind a family and friends…

To leave her family penniless and vulnerable…

However, what was the point in living if you weren't happy?

Green eyes slipped shut and Sakura breathed deeply through her nose as she leaned forward, arms coming out to her sides as she allowed gravity to do its thing.

But fate wasn't on her side because the second she began to fall, strong arms wrapped around her and they came to an abrupt halt, her eyes snapping open as they dangled in front of the Godaime's face with the help of a kunai and unbelievably strong wire. Oh, she wished it would just snap and the guy would let go of her.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, his red eyes boring down on her, the tomoe spinning wildly. "Why are you trying to kill yourself, Sakura?"

Without her consent, tears filled her eyes and an awful shake took over her body. Was it shock? Relief? Frustration? She couldn't tell. All Sakura felt was numb. Why couldn't he just let her fall? Why…?

"Why are you always saving me?" she shot back weakly.

It was with a sigh that he returned them to the top of the Hokage monument, landing on top of the Godaime's head and once they landed, he sat them both down, though not for a second did he release her, instead holding her close.

"Coming to your rescue three times would hardly class as always." There was clear anger in his tone, even though he was trying to remain calm. "Don't try to avoid my question, Sakura. Why are you trying to kill yourself?"

He wouldn't let her look away, wouldn't let her hide her face. Refusing to answer his invasive question wasn't an option either, because he was suddenly shaking her, red and black eyes widening a fraction.

"Answer me, Sakura!"

"I'm sick of it!" she yelled back at him. "You wouldn't understand even if you tried, Shisui!"

But that only seemed to make him angrier. "Try me."

And that was when she broke down and shared everything with him, bearing her heart and soul as she opened up to him completely, telling Shisui all about the arranged marriage, about her family's rotten luck, about how everything was piling up to the point where she felt taking her own life was the only way to escape it all.

Through it all, he held her, expression for once revealing how he was feeling on the inside: pained.

"Would you really leave me like that?" he murmured, forehead pressing to hers.

"Shisui-"

"You said it yourself: I'm always saving you." It stunned her when he breathed out shakily, his eyebrows knitting together and his eyes appearing glassy. "What makes you think I cannot save you from this, also?"

He said it like it was so easy. Like he would merely talk to her parents and it would all be settled, or something as ridiculous as that. In all seriousness, there was absolutely nothing Shisui could do and anything he came up with would be nothing more than daydreams. There was no getting out of an arranged marriage. People had been killed for less – and by their own families, too.

Dark eyes searched hers to try and find her answers and Sakura almost felt guilty as she whispered, "You can't save me from this."

"I can."

This was getting stupid now! Why was Shisui trying to get her hopes up only for her to be crushed later? "How?"

"Run away with me."

For a moment, she couldn't reply. No words would form as she tried to digest what he'd said and the ludicrousness of it all. "I-"

It was like he sensed her negative reply, because Shisui asked, "Do you remember the first time we met?"

* * *

 _Unbearable._

 _The ache in her heart, the twisting of her gut, was unbearable and it had her curling up into a ball beneath the stairs, hiding away from the other medics as she wept as silently as possible. Gaining attention at a moment such as this was not something she wanted._

 _But of course, that wasn't possible._

" _Do you want to talk about it?"_

 _Warily, she lifted her head from her arms, meeting the kind dark eyes she'd only seen glimpses of around the village. Kneeling before her with his head tilted to the side, Uchiha Shisui could almost pass as cute, had she not been in such a foul mood. What was he doing here? What Sakura wanted was to be left alone._

" _Uchiha-san, please…" Her head lowered once more, hiding in her arms which were rested on her knees. "Please leave me alone."_

" _I'm afraid I can't do that," he said simply and twisted, falling back against the wall beside her. "What kind of man would I be to leave a pretty young lady alone in her hour of need?"_

 _A smart one._

" _Well, then." Shisui's shoulder bumped into hers. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"_

 _A soundless sob shook her body and on her arms, her hold tightened. "No offence, but I don't know you enough-"_

 _He leaned closer at her muffled voice. "Oh? Sometimes it's easier talking to people you don't know."_

 _It took her a few minutes, but eventually, Sakura managed to whisper, "I lost my first patient."_

* * *

For reasons she couldn't even understand, Shisui had listened to her, had even comforted her when she broke down in wails and sobs. Then, he put her straight when Sakura started doubting herself, saying that of course she was in the right profession, the fact that she was in bits over the loss of a patient said it all: she had the heart of a true medic.

That was over two years ago.

"Run away together…" She shook her head, wiping at her eyes. "We'd have hunter-nin on our backs every minute of every day – you especially."

"It's a good thing I'm close with the Hokage, isn't it?" He smirked. "Itachi would understand, Sakura. He knows how important it is to me to keep promises and I made you a promise on the day we first met, didn't I?" Numbly, she nodded. "I promised to be there for you, whenever you need me."

But to ask something like that of Itachi was… It was unfair! He already had enough on his plate being their Godaime Hokage and the last thing he needed was his best friend asking for permission to leave the village, to leave him alone and without a confidant.

"Shisui…"

It was crazy. Totally insane! While Shisui had always been there for her since that awful day, never would she ever have expected something as big as what he was suggesting now. They… weren't exactly intimate and although she did have feelings for him, they weren't… It was hard to explain, really. She needed more time to figure it all out.

"It doesn't have to mean anything for us," he murmured. "I won't save you from an arranged marriage just to force you into being with me." His hand came to the back of her head, fingers weaving through her hair. "But we could get away from it all and live somewhere peacefully."

Would Itachi really allow that? Shisui was his best friend and a great asset to the village, while she was a medic who would soon be able to fight on the front lines when she mastered the Byakugō no In. They were both weapons for the village and both the elders and everyone else had high expectations of-

It only dawned on her then that Shisui needed an escape, too.

He was tired, too.

Hesitantly, she reached for his free hand and entwined her fingers with his, watching how his eyes warmed at the gesture.

"Is that a yes?"

Sakura nodded. "Let's run away together."


	4. Story 4: Moving On

**Story 4**

 **Prompt: "Death brought them together" sequel. – Requested by Ketsurui15  
Rating: K+**

 _Don't worry, Itachi-san. I'll take good care of him for you, but also for him, too. I'll lend him my strength so that he can keep that promise!_

That was what she told Uchiha Itachi almost five years ago.

Smiling sadly, she lowered the bouquet of flowers, resting them against the charcoal coloured headstone. It was a sunny day, as per usual. Birds were singing their songs high up in the blue sky, the occasional breeze fluttering their feathers and brushing her hair away from her features.

Brushing her fingertips along the smooth marble, she slowly knelt down before it, watching the carved kanji in hopes that it would disappear, that it would be some kind of mistake. Even after five years, those memories haunted her – haunted them all.

But they'd also come such a long way since that awful night.

 _Are you watching us, Itachi-san? Are you proud of how far they have come?_

Shisui had kept his promise, meaning she'd kept hers, too. There were bad days, of course. Days when Shisui didn't want to rely on her strength to help Sasuke, days when he'd yell at her to butt out because he wanted to be left alone, but at the end of every day, he came to his senses.

It hadn't been easy. There were days when Sasuke would absolutely refuse to speak to anyone, where he would wallow away in his room. The first time she saw him after locking himself away in his bedroom was carved into her memories just as permanently as the kanji on the headstone. Sasuke had been worryingly thin, with dark circles surrounding his eyes, making him appear as though he was recovering from a broken nose, and carried such an air of exhaustion that it made those around him feel exhausted, too.

His depression, to put it simply, was terrifying to witness and Sakura had honestly feared for her friend's life. For weeks – no, months, she'd been expecting to hear the news of him taking his own life, unable to cope with his grief and sorrow and she knew she wasn't exaggerating, for even his parents had been worried, going as far as moving Naruto into their home temporarily _just_ to keep an eye on him.

Sasuke's depression was so destructive that it ate away at Shisui, too. Every night it had him coming back to her, emotionally drained and in need of a shoulder to cry on. Never did she ever judge him for that.

"Sakura."

She turned just in time, not even standing from her kneeling position as somebody slammed into her, almost knocking her down. It was instinctively that Sakura returned the embrace, her hand running though the messy black hair and when she slowly pulled away, childish eyes peered up at her curiously.

"Are you talking to Uncle Itachi, Mama?"

Nodding once, she allowed her daughter to pull away and stood carefully with only a small amount of difficulty, smiling up at her husband of four years. She pretended not to see the teasing glint in his eyes. "Today is a special day, Ima-chan."

"It is?"

Shisui rested his hand on the top of her head, ruffling her hair as he replied, "It would have been your Uncle Itachi's thirtieth birthday."

Although Ima had never been able to meet Itachi and although they weren't actually blood related, she and her husband made sure that she knew exactly who he was. They made sure to have pictures of him in their home, so she knew what he looked like, so that they could _remember_ what he looked like. It sounded ridiculous, but over time, memories faded, no matter how hard you fought to preserve them. It broke her heart, but she could no longer remember his voice. Shisui told her that he couldn't either and when he realised that, it had broken him all over again.

When he finally began to see the light at the end of the seemingly never ending dark tunnel, Shisui had proposed to her, telling her that she had the patience of an angel and how he wouldn't have seen the light at all, had it not been for her strength and support.

There were still days when her husband would feel sad – their wedding day being one of them. She and Shisui were anything but traditional, meaning they'd wanted a modern wedding, with bridesmaids and a best man, only… The only person who could fill that role, hadn't been able to be there for them, for Shisui. It had still been much too soon for him to even think of finding anyone else for that role, so he hadn't had a best man at their wedding and to make it fair, Sakura had not had any bridesmaids (even though Ino pitched a fit at _that_ ).

As for Sasuke… Well, Sakura knew for a fact Itachi would be proud of his baby brother. At the age of twenty-five, he was already an adviser for the Hokage and with his Mangekyō Sharingan, he was one of the most powerful in the village. Not for one day did he let his brother down. Like her husband, Sasuke had his bad days, though did his best to keep them under control. In the beginning, he'd had zero-tolerance in regards to many things, with people being the main problem.

But they were well and truly moving on, now. Not forgetting – never could they forget a man like Uchiha Itachi, a man who'd impacted so many lives and probably never even realised it – but learning to cope, learning that life still went on and they couldn't get stuck in the past.

A small, peaceful smile played along Shisui's lips and he stepped closer to her, the hand not in their daughter's hair coming to rest on her swollen stomach. It was a smile she returned easily when he kissed her forehead and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ima grinning up at them happily.

"He would be proud," he told her softly, "that we've found happiness in each other, and created two beautiful children."

Sakura couldn't help but smirk teasingly. "I'm sure baby number two will be even beautiful-er once he or she is here."

One of the most beautiful sounds in the world filled the otherwise sombre cemetery, Shisui's carefree laughter lifting her spirits effortlessly.

 _Are you proud, Itachi-san? Keep watching over us and we'll make you even prouder, I promise._

* * *

 **A/N - Ima means 'now' and 'present', which I thought was appropriate! Since the first part of this prompt was really, really sad and depressing, I wanted to lift the mood and end it on a happy note.**


	5. Story 5: Back to the Future II

**Story 5**

 **Prompt: "Slight ItaSaku. During Danzo's fight with Shisui, he gets sent to the future around the 4** **th** **war." – Requested by Uchiha Misaki.  
Rating: T**

* * *

Living with Uchiha Shisui was… trying.

Every day they faced a new obstacle, ranging from tasks as simple as going to the bathroom, to huge risks such as allowing him to stretch his legs and exercise in the safety of his backyard. Adjusting to a life without sight was hard for him and it didn't surprise her in the least since the Uchiha Clan relied massively on their eyes – the Hyuuga clan, too.

Nudity, when it came to her patients, didn't bother Sakura in the least, but she had noticed that it made him extremely uncomfortable and still did, despite it being two months since he crash landed back into their beloved village. It was perfectly understandable, too. Shisui was a grown man, therefore he wanted to be able to bathe by himself, pee by himself and dress himself.

Don't get her wrong because lately, he was perfectly capable of moving around his own home and yard without needing her assistance. At first, he'd only known the layout of the place, but now Shisui knew where all the furniture was and what to look out for especially (they wouldn't tell him, but she and Itachi had moved all his breakable and obviously precious items away, so that there would be no accidents).

In all honesty, it was pretty tiring being his carer. Not because he was a bad character or anything of the sort, but because she saw him on his worst days. Sakura saw him when he was seriously low, when nothing could take him out of that mood or cheer him up. Depression ate away at him and some days, Shisui was unable to get out of bed.

To make matters worse: things with his clan weren't too great, either. Some labelled him as a traitor and a coward, saying he abandoned the clan when they needed his power most. They despised him. Spread rumours amongst one another that Shisui had purposely damaged his eyes before returning to them, so that they could never depend on his eyes.

Oh, it made her so incredibly angry, but Sakura reminded herself that Shisui was her main priority, as was his recovery. He didn't want to fight back and, respecting his wishes and almost chewing her lip off in an attempt to stay silent, she did nothing but stand beside him through all the badmouthing and hatred.

Sighing with annoyance, she flung the white bed sheets over the washing line, using the pegs attached to the waistband of her pants to secure them into place. Since it was such a nice day and the weather was beautiful, Sakura had decided to do some washing while she had the chance.

"Something wrong?"

She glanced over her shoulder at the man sitting on the edge of the veranda. Although he seemed at peace, she knew different. Uchiha Shisui was good at hiding how he was feeling a great deal of the time. As of late, because of spending all day, every day with him, she was learning to read through that blank expression of his.

"No, no," Sakura said dismissively, smiling even though he couldn't see it. "I was just thinking."

"You are thinking awfully loud," Shisui informed her.

Going back to the washing, she replied, "Sorry."

Despite him growing stronger each day, Sakura still heard Shisui stand from his place on the veranda. The uncertainty in his steps when he first stood was unmistakable, due to the many times she'd heard it since he was assigned as her patient.

When he was by her side, she heard him sigh deeply. Risking a glance, she looked up at his face to find that he was troubled. "We live together, Sakura. And I don't want things to become uncomfortable." He raised an eyebrow. "How can I help if you don't tell me what is wrong?"

Sakura smiled at that. Even when so much was weighing him down, Shisui never failed to ask her how she was doing, or if she needed anything. Mainly someone to talk to, as he couldn't get around by himself outside the house.

"I was just… thinking."

Bringing up the way the others treated him would worsen Shisui's mood. It could possibly make him recede further into his depression. Yes, Sakura knew it wasn't possible to distance themselves from all the things that could depress him, but it was worth a shot. Anything was worth a shot if it meant avoiding his bad days, because it broke her heart witnessing such a strong, feared man feel worthless.

He held his hands out and her smile widened as she lifted the basket of washing. Not having to bend over repeatedly was a huge help.

It was a wonderful day weather-wise, one of the best they'd had in a while. Squinting, Sakura looked up at the cloudless blue sky, the stubborn sun almost blinding her, before grabbing another pillowcase from the basket and putting it over the line, pegging it in place.

"It's been a while since Sasuke returned, hasn't it?" Shisui wondered aloud.

The question – no, the mere mentioning of Sasuke's name, brought awful memories back to the surface, along with everything she'd ever felt about him or regarding him. Inadequacy was not something she felt very often as of late, because Sakura liked to think she'd improved massively since the last time Team Seven was together as a team, however, when it came to Sasuke, she always, without fail, felt inadequate. No, she felt downright useless.

"One month, one weeks and four days," she found herself replying quietly.

There was a pause in Shisui's response, his eyebrows knitting together. "And he's still incarcerated?"

He was going to be for a long time, if the elders got their way. Tsunade wouldn't say much about it other than the fact that they were dredging up the past and being stubborn old fools. What that meant exactly, she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, wasn't good, though. It put her shishou on edge. It was like she was preparing herself for more than just the war looming over them.

"Yeah." Grabbing another sheet, she flung it over the line. "His parents aren't too happy about the 'no visitors' thing, but…" Sakura shrugged and then sighed again. "It's only to be expected, given all he's done."

The list of crimes Sasuke had committed seemed to grow longer every day and every sin they uncovered seemed twice as unforgivable as the previous one. It was a losing battle trying to protect her heart and it made Sakura wonder how Mikoto and Fugaku were feeling, or Itachi. How was it possible for the smiling, carefree child they'd all known and loved…?

Feeling the tell-tale signs of tears, Sakura hurriedly finished the washing and then took the basket from Shisui's hands.

"How about we go start the healing session early?"

Shisui hesitated for a moment, his head tilted downwards so that they were face to face. It was remarkable how quickly his other senses improved. She was so impressed that she was debating on allowing Shisui to have a real spar with Itachi – if he was comfortable doing so, of course.

"Are you sure?" he questioned after a long pause of silence.

"Yeah." Turning away, Sakura made the short journey to the veranda, stepping up easily. She took her time, as she knew that, while outside, Shisui relied on hearing her movements to know when to step up, or how far he had to walk. "We're so close, you know?"

She held the door open with her hip, waiting until the Uchiha had his hand flat against the door above her head before she walked to the cupboard in the kitchen, placing the basket inside. Turning, she regarded him silently. His unease was obvious and it had her smiling softly.

In the two months of living with Uchiha Shisui, she liked to believe she knew him well enough by now to understand what he was feeling. And while there hadn't been a repeat of her sharing his bed since that first day, more often than not, Sakura would be woken during the night by the sounds of his screams, no matter how hard he tried to smother them. He screamed at the loss of his eyes, of his identity. She knew he felt like he was only a shell of who he used to be.

It was why she was so determined on restoring not only his sight, but his Sharingan, too. Well, his sight was a sure thing after all the research she and Tsunade had done. His Sharingan, however, was an entirely different story. There were so many risks. She may be able to restore his Sharingan, but there was the risk of being knocked straight back to square one if his chakra pathways couldn't withstand the pressure. It was basically trial and error.

Stepping forward, she took his hand. By now, Shisui had grown used to her lack of respect for personal space – hell, he seemed grateful for the contact a great deal of the time. It was like it helped to keep him grounded, to fight away his darker thoughts, though she supposed that was more wishful thinking than anything.

They always sat in the living room during the healing sessions. It was comfortable for the both of them and when the sessions went on for a little longer than they normally did, then Shisui was able to sleep on the sofa, or put his head on her lap as she worked on him.

After shutting out the curtains and switching on a small lamp, she placed it behind him. That way, it wouldn't cause any harm to his sensitive eyes. They usually waited until night to work on Shisui's eyes for the simple fact that it was obviously darker, but… she needed the distraction it brought to her. She had to give the healing sessions one hundred percent of her concentration.

"I'm going to remove the bandages now," Sakura warned him quietly.

When he nodded, she reached out, gently untying the bandages at the back of his head and then beginning the process of unwrapping them. It took some time. Once they were gone, he wisely kept his eyes shut, but after the past two months, Sakura knew he was only keeping them shut because he was tired of the disappointment.

For the first week or two of their sessions, Shisui had kept his hopes high. He'd done all he could to help his recovery. It was difficult for him, but he'd done it. So, when they kept getting the same results, it broke him. Piece by piece. And he forced himself to not hope, because to him, hoping only brought him more pain.

He was such a beautiful man, in her eyes. Lowering the bandages to the sofa, she watched his features. It made no sense to her how young he appeared, since he was older than Itachi and had been missing eight years, but…

* * *

" _What's wrong?"_

 _While it wasn't unusual for her friend to get lost in his thoughts, it_ was _unusual of him to do it so publicly. They were outside of Shisui's house, taking a rest on the stairs leading to his front door._

 _It wasn't an overly large house, but it did seem a little spacious for someone who lived alone and part of her worried about it being in a crowded part of the district. Itachi had already warned her that a lot of his clansmen resented Shisui for his disappearance, that negativity only increasing when they learned of the state of his eyes. There was no front yard to put extra distance between them, so those who wrongly hated him could walk straight up to the porch without trespassing._

 _That was why Tsunade had chosen her, though. It wasn't solely because of her skills as a medic-nin because if it was, she would have assigned Shizune. She'd chosen Sakura because she knew she was capable of protecting him, should something happen._

 _Sakura hoped, more than anything, that it wouldn't come down to that._

" _He doesn't look any older than when I last saw him."_

 _Frowning, she looked up at him, but Itachi was staring out at the street ahead of them, watching the clansmen walking by. Neither of them failed to notice their scrutinising and disdainful looks when they caught glimpses of the house. News of Shisui's dramatic return had travelled fast._

" _Are you sure?" Sakura asked, though she wasn't sure why. His eyes never missed a thing. They saw what everyone else couldn't see._

" _It's like he hasn't aged at all," Itachi added in hushed tones. Minutely, his eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head to the side, meeting her gaze. "The last time I saw Shisui, we sparred. My Sharingan was activated."_

 _There was no mistaking it, then. To better their chances of saving Shisui's Sharingan, Itachi had allowed her to extensively examine his eyes to learn all she needed to know about the Kekkei Genkai. He even brought her scrolls that were only to be read by the higher ups of his clan, deciphering them for her and sharing the information. During that research, she'd discovered that the Sharingan gave the user a photographic memory._

" _How's that even possible?" she whispered, aware of the fact others would hear them if they spoke too loudly._

" _I don't know," came his murmured reply. "However, I am willing to bet it has something to do with his eyes."_

 _Yes, she did, too. They were so badly burned, to the point where Tsunade had said she was surprised they weren't liquefied. "Then…" Sakura frowned. "So, what do we do?"_

" _I will do all I can to uncover the truth."_

* * *

Uchiha Shisui was supposed to be in his thirties by now, though certainly no older than Kakashi. He was around nine years older than Itachi, making him exactly thirty, possibly thirty-one at most. Despite that, he only looked to be in his early twenties. He looked the same age as Itachi.

Also, so far, he seemed to have no memory of what happened. None whatsoever. A single glance at Itachi told her he didn't believe that story, though. The way he'd watched Shisui closely, eyes narrowing fractionally, told her the older Uchiha was withholding information. But why would he do that?

"I'll start now."

Shisui nodded once and then his expression relaxed completely as her healing chakra entered his eyes. The chakra pathways were still burned, but nowhere near as horrifically as they'd been in the beginning. For the first month, they'd focused entirely on his sight until she realised it caused him extreme pain – pain he tried to hide. It had taken her a while to get to where they were at now. Not only with the healing, but getting him to openly admit he was in pain. It made caring for him so much easier when he was honest with her.

An hour or two passed before Sakura gently extracted her chakra, smiling hesitantly. It was the part Shisui hated, the part that either threatened to destroy their hopes, or… Well, there hadn't been a second option yet. All they'd had was battered hope and faith. No matter how hard she tried to keep them up, it was obvious Shisui was falling further into his depression.

"Open them," she said quietly. For a few moments, he refused, breathing turning shaky. She reached out and cupped his cheek, offering a small, hopeful smile. "Please, Shisui? For me?"

During the past two months, they'd decided to forget about formalities. What with being Shisui's carer, and having to help him bathe and go to the bathroom and whatnot, they'd thought they were a little pointless.

When her thumb stroked beneath his left eye, he opened them, taking her breath away at the same time as he seemed to lose his. His gaze was somewhat focused, even if he _was_ squinting a little, and there was a myriad of emotions for her to see in his dark eyes. Mostly shocked and disbelief, but she could see the awe in there, too.

"I…"

Her smile widened encouragingly. "Tell me how much you can see, Shisui."

He blinked several times before slowly, almost hesitantly, he lifted his hands to her head, fingers grazing her hair. "…Pink hair," Shisui murmured, sounding vaguely amused.

Sakura raised a daring eyebrow and it seemed to capture his attention as his eyes squinted further, gaze drifting down to her eyes. "Don't make fun of my hair, jer-"

"Your eyes…" He swallowed and leaned closer, pupils dilating.

Her breath caught in her throat when Shisui's fingers shifted from her hair to her face, shaking faintly. As she had him, he cupped her face, thumbs stroking beneath her eyes.

"What about my eyes?" she whispered, unable to speak any louder.

A beautiful smile – the first _real_ smile she'd seen from him since meeting Shisui – pulled at his lips and it stunned her when his forehead bumped against hers.

"I can't see them all that clearly, but…" His smile widened. "Your eyes are really green."

The way he said it made her frown slightly. He said it like he was being sentenced, although not negatively. It was as though he'd lost a fight he hadn't even tried to win and it confused her greatly.

One of the hands slipped from her cheek and back to her hair, coming to the back of her head. Sakura was pretty sure Shisui could hear the erratic beating of her heart, or her breathing as it grew shallow, but she could tell his was no different.

Over the past two months, there'd been a little tension – there was no point trying to deny it, just like there was no point in trying to deny there was attraction there. Being so close to him physically and seeing him on his darkest days was bound to bring them closer. There was no avoiding that. But it was the first time they'd been… _this_ close. It was the first time she was going against her position as his medic and carer.

After all, medics couldn't be romantically involved with their patients. And that was what Shisui was. He was her patient.

"Shisui…"

When she bit her lip, his hand shifted, thumb lightly brushing her lips. Sakura shut her eyes.

 _Screw the rules,_ that voice in the back of her mind hissed.

The front door opening broke them apart, had her shooting out of her seat and nervously running her fingers through her hair to tidy it up.

Itachi froze in the doorway, eyes a fraction wider than usual. "Forgive me for intruding. I-"

"No, it's fine," Sakura assured him. She tried to smile, but it was difficult. "Shisui's sight is…"

The younger Uchiha warily shut the door behind himself and stepped further into the home, watching the way his friend squinted and focused on the area surrounding him. They all did their best to ignore the flush that covered both her own and Shisui's cheeks – Sakura was grateful for the top she'd chosen to wear that day, which had a higher neckline than her usual vests, because she could feel the same heat on her chest, too.

His eyes warmed when Shisui's gaze met his. "I'm glad."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Sakura pretended to busy herself with fresh bandages, doing her best to ignore the glance the two men threw her way. While Shisui had kept the disappointment from his features and voice, they could tell he was annoyed at the intrusion. She, however, wasn't sure how she felt about it.

Medics weren't to become involved with their patients. It was plain and simple. And she had always been one to abide by the rules, to play fair (or as fair as a shinobi could play). To willingly toss aside said rule was just… out of character for her. Saying that, though… she had kind of broken the rules by sitting on Shisui's hospital bed, and then sleeping in his own bed with him. It had only happened the once, but it still happened. If her shishou found out…

"Sasuke was attacked in his cell last night," Itachi informed them. "Hokage-sama barely made it in time to save him."

She dropped the bandages, body freezing.

Shisui stood up, coming to her side. "His condition?"

Only to them did Itachi reveal his deep concern, his brows knitting together into a troubled frown. "Stable. Hokage-sama has stationed two of her most trustworthy ANBU operatives inside his hospital room."

She didn't even realise she was shaking until somebody grabbed her hands. Green eyes snapped to the dark, somewhat focused eyes in front of hers.

"Sakura-"

"Why?" Sakura demanded.

Tsunade had told her that Sasuke was restrained and had a seal placed over his eyes so that he was unable to use his Sharingan. Why would someone attack a person who was unable to fight back? When they were so defenceless? Sasuke was… All he did all day was just sit there, unable to move properly. He couldn't block or dodge attacks he couldn't see coming. He was helpless.

"What… What _coward_ …" she seethed. "What kind of coward attacks someone who's so… so goddamn _vulnerable?"_

"Danzo," Shisui muttered suddenly, taking them by surprise. "It has to be Danzo."

"What?"

Sakura looked up at him with an expression of utter disbelief. What the hell kind of accusation was that? No, where the hell had it come from? Danzo was… He was a major pain in the ass and drove Tsunade insane with his sexist, condescending ways, but he wasn't… Surely, he wouldn't attack an Uchiha? A prisoner of the Hokage's – no, of the _five_ Kage? She'd never had him down as stupid.

One glance at Itachi told her he was thinking along the same lines. They both knew Danzo wouldn't act so recklessly. Although Sakura had heard that something had gone down between the clan and Danzo, she didn't know any specifics. She just knew enough to know that there was bad blood between Danzo and the Uchiha Clan.

But the thought of Danzo attacking Sasuke was simply… ridiculous.

Right?

"Shisui, it is not possible," Itachi tried to reason with him. "Danzo-sama has realised that-"

"It is entirely possible," he stressed in reply. "Whatever happened to me was because of Danzo. He-"

The hold on her hands disappeared as Shisui brought his hands to his face, his expression one of pain and in that moment, her anger and sadness disappeared. She reached out for him just as he stumbled, Itachi steadying the pair of them when she was caught off guard by his sudden dead weight.

"Shisui," she all but yelled, eyes wide in fear as she tightened her arm around his waist, other hand tilting his head downwards. It was pitiful, but it was only thanks to Itachi that they didn't collapse completely. "Damn it, he's out cold."

Once he realised they no longer needed the assistance and now that she was better prepared for his weight, the younger Uchiha stepped away and Sakura effortlessly moved Shisui to the sofa, easing him down slowly.

Despite being unconscious, his expression showed that he was deeply troubled. There was a harsh scowl on his pale face, his eyebrows twitching and nostrils flaring. A steady green glow of chakra enveloped her right hand as she placed it on his forehead, closing her eyes in concentration.

Sighing with annoyance once she found the problem, Sakura extracted her chakra and reached for the bandages, frowning as she told Itachi, "He tried sending chakra to his eyes, probably to activate his Sharingan."

But that seemed to trouble Itachi further and he returned her frown, watching closely as she set to covering Shisui's eyes once again. "Previously, Shisui rarely-"

"Itachi," she cut him off, though kept her voice soft. When the bandages were on and secure, she stood and faced the younger Uchiha. "The Shisui from eight years ago is a different man to the Shisui before us." Her frown returned. "He's in a really dark place, so it's understandable that he's not as in control of his emotions or his chakra as he used to be." Biting her lip for a second, she added quietly, "We don't know what happened to him during those eight years."

As he glanced down at his friend, Sakura regarded him silently. He seemed just as worried as she felt.

Itachi looked back to her suddenly, expression clearing. "I will investigate it further."

She caught his sleeve when he turned to leave, unable to meet his questioning gaze while saying, "Please be careful, Itachi. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

His gaze softened.

* * *

It had been three days since she found out Sasuke was attacked. In that time, Shisui had woken up rather disorientated and had to remain in dimly lit places even with the heavy bandages covering his eyes – which were still on, as a precaution.

Sakura was stumped. Well, maybe not entirely stumped, just… on edge and confused.

There were three visits during the three days, all of which were Itachi checking up on his friend. Unlike herself, he really was stumped. He was unable to find any leads or new information on what happened to Shisui and why. Several times, he revisited the place where he'd reappeared, at various times throughout the day, but there was nothing. And it frustrated him.

What was even more frustrating was the fact they still couldn't see Sasuke. When he first returned, she'd been unsure on what to do with herself. Did she visit him? Did she give him his space? Was he okay? Was he in any pain? Was he learning his lesson?

"I'll be back soon," Sakura called out while brushing her hair off her shoulder to make room for her bag strap, waiting for the typical grunted reply before she left.

Grocery shopping was the bane of her existence. Sure, she enjoyed the odd conversation with the villagers every so often, but as of late, their attention was massively unwanted. Whether it was because she was Tsunade's apprentice and already surpassing her shishou, or because she was Uchiha Shisui's carer, or because Sasuke was home. While they seemed like positive things, some of the villagers were nasty people who were capable of twisting words, or spouting cruel lies.

So, on top of grocery shopping being a mundane chore she wished she could pay genin to do for her, there was now the constant attention and gossip following her around. The only reason Sakura didn't go through with her selfish wish of paying genin to do the shopping for her was because she couldn't trust them. She was awfully particular about fruit – it couldn't be bruised, fully ripe, or too squishy. It had to be at a perfect balance. The same went for her vegetables.

There wasn't only that. After Shisui's words the other day, despite not wanting to believe them, Sakura knew she had to be extra careful. If his words were true, then Danzo would possibly want to finish what he started, or could even hire someone to do it now that Shisui was considerably weakened. Hell, there was even the chance of a member of his clan despising him enough to try and end his life. Tsunade had chosen her to protect him for a reason.

Due to it being closer to his home, and still fully intact even after Pain's attack, she chose to shop within the district, even though it meant constantly being scrutinised. The Uchiha Clan had always been… _off_ with her – not outright hateful, but not friendly, either.

Anyone who didn't belong was treated like an outsider, whether they were non-Uchiha, or only half an Uchiha. Unless you were a, as Naruto dubbed, "a pure blood", then you weren't welcome within their walls. Oh, you could live in the district if you were half an Uchiha, but they made you feel ostracised – or so Itachi had once told her.

She smiled brightly at the criticising glares that followed her around, purposely aggravating the old coots who hated her presence, or the harsh jackasses with the superiority complexes, or even the children who blindly followed the orders of those people.

The sudden presence of another by her side brought Sakura out of her thoughts and she smiled more genuinely at the woman. She didn't know her, but she knew _of_ her. Uchiha Izumi was Itachi's… Well, she wasn't entirely sure what they were to each other. She was beautiful, though. There was no denying that. Her warm brown hair was long and smooth, parted at the side and the colour of it matched her eyes. Unlike other Uchiha, her eyes weren't cold or assessing. They were filled with kindness.

Instantly, Sakura decided she liked the woman and secretly, she hoped Itachi would hurry and make his damn mind up.

"Don't mind them," Izumi told her with a smile.

"They don't bother me that much," she replied truthfully, but then grimaced. "It's when they talk badly about Shisui that…"

That she was filled with pure hot rage and wanted pummel them all.

The smile dimmed, replaced by a frown. "How is he?" Izumi asked quietly. "I haven't seen much of Itachi-kun. He's so busy with missions lately that I…" She sighed. "I never get the chance to ask him how his best friend is, or how _he_ is."

Sakura smiled slightly. "Itachi's working hard to uncover the mystery that is Uchiha Shisui," she said half teasingly, half seriously. "And Shisui is still recovering."

Izumi nodded. Her frown was still in place, telling Sakura that she was still troubled about Itachi's absence – or was she troubled by Shisui? It wasn't her place to ask really, was it? She didn't know Izumi. She didn't know what her relationship with Itachi was like, or if it was a romantic relationship at all.

" _Izumi!"_

She looked over her shoulder and came to a stop in their walk. "Coming!" Turning back to Sakura, she said, "Tell Shisui-san that I wish him a fast recovery. Also, if you see Itachi-kun, tell him…" Izumi smiled shyly. "Tell him that when I come back from my mission, it's his turn to pay for dango and tea."

With that said, she jogged over to the two others who were waiting for her. It was probably her team, Sakura decided.

"Have a safe mission!" she yelled out to the team and grinned at the smile Izumi responded with.

Her grin faded as she went back to her shopping, though the small smile remained in place. She would be the first to admit that her judgement of character wasn't the greatest, but Sakura thought that the Uchiha woman was a kind person. Perhaps she was exactly what Itachi needed? Someone kind-hearted and… so _obviously_ in love with him.

It was as the grocery store came into view that she heard them, though. There was a group of three teenage girls to her left, lingering outside the store like a bunch of hooligans. From their appearance and the way they held themselves, Sakura could tell they were kunoichi. She looked at one of the market stalls, assessing the quality of the fruit.

" _My older sister said he used to be even greater than Itachi-sama,"_ one of the girls laughed cruelly. _"I'm starting to think she's pulling my leg. He's pathetic."_

" _I know, right?"_ another replied in the same manner. _"I mean, he has to have his guard dog with him at all times because they know what the clan will do to him."_

" _U-Um… guys? I don't think we should be talking so loudly. She's just over there."_

" _Who cares?"_ the first girl said, voice raising. _"All three of us have the Sharingan. She's not a threat to us."_

Finally having enough, she calmly placed her shopping bags down and made her way over to them, smiling politely. Despite what she'd been saying moments before, all three of the girls were unnerved by her presence.

"You want to say that a little louder?" Sakura asked flippantly. "I don't think they heard you in Suna."

"You-"

She didn't give them the chance to defend themselves as she smirked viciously and slammed her fist into her palm, causing her knuckles to crack under the pressure. "I'm supposed to be shopping for groceries, but I suppose I can spare a few seconds to beat you mouthy brats back into submission."

* * *

"You're bleeding."

"Oh, this?" she asked cheerfully. "It's nothing."

Shisui frowned. "You only went for groceries. What happened?"

His suspicion was only to be expected. Since losing his sight, Shisui's other senses had heightened impressively. Although he couldn't see her busted lip, he could smell the blood in the air.

Sighing, she placed the bags down near the door and made her way over to the sofa where Shisui was sitting. It wasn't unusual for him to sit alone in silence, so she thought nothing of it. Sometimes, Shisui wanted to be left alone, or simply enjoyed being in silence. It was worrying, since his thoughts were pretty dark at times, but there was no way to stop him.

"I got into a little fight with some girls-"

"A fight?" he questioned, head moving in her direction like he could see her. "Why?"

"It's not important why," she responded lamely and sat beside him. "They deserved it. That's all I'm saying."

"They?"

"Three of them." It was with a roll of her eyes that she sat back and rubbed her forehead. "One of them sucker punched me."

Shisui turned in his seat and hesitantly reached out, hand wavering blindly until Sakura sat up again, smiling faintly when he found her face. His fingers explored her skin, leg sliding more onto the sofa so that he could face her fully. There was a soft frown marring his features as he reached her lip and felt the blood. It stung a little when his thumb ran over it, but she didn't stop him.

"Sakura…" he breathed in a deep sigh. "They were Uchiha, weren't they?" Her pout answered him and Shisui said with obvious disapproval, "I have told you before to leave them be. It is better to ignore their words and glares than give them more reason to-"

"To hate you?" Sakura demanded. As much as she wanted to pull away from him, she didn't. "You don't deserve to be hated, Shisui. No one does. They were saying some… some _horrible_ things and I couldn't stand it anymore."

Again, he sighed, but surprised her by pressing his forehead to hers, reminding her of the other day, right before they were interrupted. "At least tell me you won."

She smirked even though it hurt to do so. "Don't underestimate me, Uchiha Shisui. They may have the Sharingan, but I was trained by Tsunade-sama."

A medic's ability to dodge or block an attack was absolutely crucial. Sakura had learned to sense the changes in the air around her and as soon as she sensed an attack, she moved out of the way. Unless she wanted to die during the harsh training with Tsunade, she'd had no other choice but to learn that. Even though it was only training, her shishou put everything into her attacks.

The smirk was only half proud and she knew it was because he was against her fighting. She supposed he had every right to be worried. As far as Shisui knew, she was only a medic. He didn't know she was capable of disregarding the medic's rules.

"Thank you."

Sakura frowned softly and tried to see his features, but they were too close for her to make anything out. "What for?"

"For being on my side," he replied quietly. "I know I am not the easiest person to deal with-"

She cut him off. "I'll always be on your side, Shisui." Reaching out, she took his hands, holding them securely in her own. "It's only been two months, but I _know_ you."

His hands turned so that they were holding hands, instead of her holding onto his. "And I, you."

"That's why I defended you today," she murmured, looking down at their joined hands. "You won't stand up for yourself because you're against violence – and let's face it, those arrogant idiots will always resort to violence." After a short pause, she added, "I'm not included in that, even if I do resort to violence, by the way."

The smirk was more genuine this time.

"I'm with you every second of every day," Sakura continued quietly and pulled back a little to see his features. She wished in that moment, more than anything, that she could see his eyes again. "I learned pretty quickly that you didn't purposely damage your eyes to avoid whatever the hell went down between your clan and the village." When his smirk vanished, she sighed. "Whatever happened to you was out of your control, wasn't it?"

Minutely, Shisui nodded, his head then turning in a different direction. "It felt like a…"

"Like a…?" she pushed gently when he trailed off.

"Like a jutsu," he whispered. "A teleportation jutsu."

Her heart skipped a beat as she realised he was telling her about what happened to him. "Did you…?"

He shook his head. "I don't remember much of what happened, but it's like you said: whatever happened was out of my control. I simply remember being transported from the forest to the Hokage Tower."

"The forest?" Sakura repeated, making a mental note to inform Itachi of the new information. It would be useful to him. "What were you doing out there?"

Again, Shisui shook his head, this time silently telling her he didn't want to talk about it. It made her wonder if it had anything to do with his sudden hatred for Danzo. After all, he said what happened to him was because of that man. Had he been the one who teleported him? For some reason, Sakura couldn't see that happening. What reason would he have to send someone to the future?

Was that what happened to Shisui? It seemed entirely possible, in her eyes. Uchiha Shisui had not aged since the day he went missing. He disappeared without a trace and then reappeared without warning, popping into existence above the Hokage Tower and almost giving Tsunade's ANBU guard heart attacks as they rushed to stop his descent, believing him to be an attacker. But was it Danzo who did it to him? Or was it something to do with his eyes? Was it the reason why they were almost liquefied? Had he unknowingly cast the jutsu that sent him to the future?

Oh, her head hurt.

"Sakura, about the other day," Shisui began, but then paused, seeming to struggle for words.

She continued for him, saying quietly, "I'm your medic, Shisui." It hurt just to say it and she could tell by the way he suddenly fell silent, head turning away, that he felt the same. "It's…" She sighed. Why was it so hard saying the words? Why did it cause an ache in her chest? "It's against the rules to become involved with your patient in any way."

There was every chance they only felt the way they did because of the constant close proximity, because she was with him all day every day. It wasn't unheard of or uncommon.

"Even if it's something we both want?" he asked, voice quiet.

Did she want that? She didn't bother denying the fact she'd wanted Shisui to kiss her the other day. If Itachi hadn't interrupted them, then it would have happened. She would have let it happen and she probably would have liked it. But the rules were there for a reason. Perhaps if she wasn't his medic, they could have explored the tension and attraction they felt. But there was also a chance of not feeling said attraction, had it not been for their constant closeness.

"I should probably put the groceries away," Sakura said lamely.

He allowed her to go and once in the kitchen, she placed the bags of groceries down and breathed in deeply, trying to ignore the horrible ache in her heart.

Even though she'd only known Shisui for two months, it felt like she'd known him a lifetime. He'd been a great comfort to her after Sasuke's return, even though she was supposed to be the one taking care of him. When she needed someone to talk to, he was there. When she couldn't find the words to express how she was feeling, they sat there in comfortable silence until she found them and was ready to talk.

In just two short months, he'd become a precious person to her.

And that scared her.

* * *

She awoke in the middle of the night.

For a moment, she stayed silent, staring up at the ceiling in concentration. It wasn't Shisui or his nightmares that had awoken her, she decided after a moment and the second she realised that, Sakura was out of bed and grabbing her pouch.

As quietly as she could, she opened her door further. Being Shisui's medic meant that it could never be completely closed. She had to listen out for any struggles or emergencies. As stated before: being a medic meant there was no such thing as privacy or modesty and she'd taken up the role of being his full-time medic.

There were no sounds in the hallway and she couldn't sense anyone's presence, either. However, the attack on Sasuke was still fresh in her mind. She knew that, should someone be targeting the Uchiha, and if Shisui's story was true, then he was the first one to be taken out. In regards to Sasuke, he was a threat. He was crazy strong. It would only make sense to take him out while he was unable to fight back.

Deciding to take the risk, Sakura silently darted from her room and over to Shisui's, shutting the door behind herself. The room seemed mostly untouched and a quick check of his breathing, heart rate and chakra told her he hadn't been disturbed. Her examination woke him, but fortunately, Shisui seemed to sense the same thing as her and kept quiet.

And then he seemed to hear something she couldn't, grabbing Sakura and moving them out of the way faster than she could keep up with and a for a split second, she was in awe. She'd heard all about his speed, had known not to take it lightly because Uchiha Itachi _never_ did. To experience said speed was an entirely different matter, however.

The whole bed was suddenly engulfed in flames, starting from where they'd been sat, much to her horror.

Her horror only multiplied when Shisui reached up for his bandages, ripping them off without hesitation. In the dark, it allowed him the chance to adjust. She saw the way he squinted, the way his pupils dilated as he fought hard through the fog that clouded his vision. Thankfully, he didn't try activating his Sharingan.

"Outside," he muttered, still holding her tightly. Without warning, and using himself as a shield to keep her from being harmed, he all but threw them out of his closed window, landing expertly on his bare feet. "It's too crowded in there."

Too crowded-

Sakura's breath left her as the attackers revealed themselves, standing opposite them in the otherwise empty street. There was no time to focus on the black smoke leaving the broken window, or the cuts marring Shisui's body.

Not when they were facing Danzo and his ROOT operatives.

It stunned her. ROOT was supposed to have been disbanded years ago. How the…

There was no telling if the other Uchiha would come to their defence after seeing the smoke from the fire that was quickly taking over the house. They had to go on the belief that they wouldn't. That they were alone to fight Danzo and his operatives. But…

That was why Tsunade had chosen her. Perhaps not specifically for Danzo, but for an attack like this.

Ignoring the grip on her, Sakura pulled away, coming to stand in front of Shisui with a grave expression. Either way, she was screwed. She was caught up in the mess between Danzo and the Uchiha Clan now. Whatever was going down, he wouldn't leave any evidence of it. That included her involvement. She knew too much by simply looking at him. Danzo would not spare her.

"Do not underestimate her," Danzo muttered to his operatives. "Even though she is unarmed, that girl is still a weapon. She will kill you if you take her lightly."

"I'm not going to kill anyone," Sakura retorted calmly. Holding her arms out to her sides, she said, "But I won't let you harm Shisui."

"Then you will die alongside him."

"Sakura-"

"Stay behind me, Shisui," she ordered. Keeping her hard green eyes on the enemy, she narrowed them, allowing her seal to release itself and cover her skin. "I don't know what you're playing at, Danzo-sama, but it ends here."

Instead of replying to her, he made a single hand gesture and his operatives reacted instantly, rushing at her. Sakura gritted her teeth and shot forward to meet them head on, doing her best to keep any of them from getting by her, from attacking Shisui. She dodged and deflected their attacks, countering them with unlethal moves.

Grabbing one operative's waist, she launched him at the others, the force knocking them backwards and into the store opposite the home, the wall crumbling around them. Four down, she told herself, immediately going to the next operative who was attempting to sneak up on her. She surprised him with a roundhouse kick, sending him flying across the street. Leaping back and closer to Shisui, she narrowed her eyes, focusing intently on the last three and Danzo.

"It is futile," the leader told her. "While you fight valiantly, my operatives are already on the move."

What?

A cold dread filled her stomach, twisting it harshly and the feeling only tripled when she heard Shisui's breath leave him, when they all suddenly heard the screams of terror belonging to children, to the tell-tale sounds of battle as the Uchiha Clan began to fight back.

"Tsunade-sama will never let this go," she warned him, anger making her clenched fists shake. "She'll know it was you."

"That is why I intend to rectify that problem, also."

Chakra completely enveloped her hands, green eyes going wide with a mixture or rage and fear.

"Like I'd let you!" she snarled, going straight for the old man.

Another appeared before her, forcing Sakura to come to a skidding halt to prevent herself from harming Uchiha Fugaku as he stood tall before her.

"Take Shisui and go," he told her without looking over his shoulder. His hands were by his sides, body tensed and ready for action and after a few seconds, Mikoto and two others joined him. "Warn Hokage-sama."

Knowing that it was all she could do, she released the built-up chakra and turned back to Shisui, grabbing his hands. His sight wouldn't be perfect. He wouldn't be able to keep up with her if she was to run off ahead.

Sakura wondered where Itachi was. Was he helping the other Uchiha? Was he fighting for them? Or was he out on another mission? She found herself hoping Izumi was still out on her mission, too. Or would Danzo have anticipated that not all Uchiha were in the district? Would he have sent people after them?

"Sakura."

"I know."

She turned, arm wrapping around Shisui's waist as she effortlessly deflected the three kunai that was launched at them. Their feet touched down on a roof for a second and this time, she put more chakra into the leap, keeping a tight hold of Shisui with one arm, while her other hand was clasped tightly around her kunai. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the clansmen fighting, saw bodies littering the streets. For a second, she wished that Shisui's eyes were still covered, as he certainly didn't need to see the deaths of his clansmen while he was unable to fight back and help them.

She was forced to release him when somebody seemed to materialise out of nowhere, a punch landing to her face and reopening the busted lip. Much to her relief, Shisui managed to land onto a roof, albeit shakily, clearly unsure of his surroundings as he tried his hardest to look around himself. To try and save her legs from the harsh landing, she tumbled into it, turning and flipping until she managed to stop her momentum. Sakura breathed out a shaky exhale as she balanced on the edge of the roof.

It seemed the lights in the district had been shut off, leaving them to rely on the full moon to light up the streets.

Her heart broke at the sight of the bodies of children laying motionlessly on the ground, surrounded by pools of their own blood. It hurt even more to see a bloodied teddy resting several feet ahead of one particular child, her hand outstretched like she was trying reach it in her final moments.

With tear filling her eyes, she turned to confront the operatives, but was taken back to find that there was quadruple the number she'd been facing before. They also looked a hell of a lot stronger.

But she had to protect him.

She had to get him out of Konoha.

* * *

He had to get him out of Konoha.

The hallways were dark and silent, and Itachi made sure to be the same as he rushed through the maze that was ANBU headquarters. His uniform kept him from rousing suspicion should the other operatives catch him. However, he knew he still had to be wary and avoid all interactions. There was no telling who was on Danzo's side. There was no telling who was his friend or foe. People he'd worked with for years could turn against him if they were ordered to do so.

They'd been completely unprepared for the sudden attack on his clan, with him just barely managing to escape after his parents ordered him to find his brother, to get him out of Konoha. They had to live in order to take the village back, was what his father had told him. Please protect Sasuke, was what his mother begged of him.

What he'd told Sakura was the truth: Sasuke had been attacked. However, he lied when he told her he was in hospital. Being who he was and having done the things he had, Tsunade had no choice but to keep him in the bowels of ANBU's headquarters, still unable to defend himself. She warned him that, should another attack happen and he managed to break out of the seals placed upon him, it would still take a while for him to regain his chakra. He would still be defenceless.

That meant they couldn't stay and help their clansmen. It was unsightly, but they had to run. Not only would it be the best option, but their parents had ordered it of them.

He would not disappoint them or allow their sacrifices to be in vain.

* * *

When she stumbled for the seventh time, Sakura wiped the blood from her chin, making several hand signs before slamming her palm to the roof, summoning Katsuyu. It didn't take her summon long to sense the danger and she spat acid at the enemy, body curling around hers and Shisui's protectively.

"Sakura," he whispered, trembling hands coming to her face. He'd done his best to fight with her, but as he was still recovering, he hadn't been much help. "You don't have to do this for me."

But she did. She had to protect him with everything she had. Not because it was her duty as his medic and not because it was ordered of her.

She stunned him by pressing her lips to his, ignoring the fact it made her busted lip sting. Her hand came to the back of his head, about to run through his hair. And then she did it. Her hand connected to the back of his neck and she felt him go limp in her arms.

"You have to live," Sakura told him quietly.

Around them, Katsuyu suddenly flinched, like something physically hurt her, but when Sakura looked up, she found no one was there. The operatives seemed to have run at the sight of the slug, knowing they wouldn't get close with her acid attack. The roof surrounding them was about to give way due to the acid she'd spat out and noticing they didn't have long, Sakura put her last minute plan into motion.

"Katsuyu-sama."

The slug's optical tentacles flinched again. "Sakura-chan, Tsunade-sama's contract…"

Tears filled her eyes and she shifted closer to Katsuyu, like she was trying to seek comfort from her. "Katsuyu-sama, I have one last request."

"Sakura-chan, you-"

"Save him," Sakura pleaded as the tears slipped down her bloodied and bruised cheeks. "Please save Shisui."

It was obvious she wanted to refuse, that she wanted to save her master, also. However, Katsuyu was intelligent. She knew that, in order to save Shisui, somebody had to be used as a decoy. To protect those who were fleeing, to give them a fighting chance, somebody had to stay behind and hold them off.

As she was the last medic who couldn't die in battle, it was only fair that it was her.

"I will take him to Shikkotsu Forest," her summon responded as fiercely as she could. "He will stay there with my main body until you summon me again."

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, breathing out a deep sigh of relief. At the forest, he would be undoubtedly safe. Nothing and no one could go there without Katsuyu – or so Tsunade had told her.

Thinking of her shishou had more tears soundlessly slip down her cheeks and she pressed her forehead to Katsuyu, hand coming to rest on the side of the slug's head. If her contract was gone, then that meant… It meant she was also gone. Danzo had probably already gone through his plan to take her place because she'd be a troublesome opponent. Her shishou was a strong woman, even he knew that.

"Thank you, Katsuyu-sama."

* * *

The village was in ruins.

Many had awoken to the screams of terror and anguish, quickly leaving their homes to come to the defence of their villagers. Usually, he would order his clan to stay within their district after figuring out what had happened, knowing it did not involve them. However, they'd done much growing within the past few years. The new generation had helped them to see their unforgivable, selfish ways.

So Hyuuga Hiashi led his clansmen straight to the Hokage Tower, where the battle seemed to be at its worst. There was so much going on. People were fighting, or trying to run away, or dying at his feet.

What struck him most was the body of their Godaime Hokage.

He hadn't agreed with her being Hokage, as there were many others who fit the role more appropriately. Senju Tsunade was a gambler with an awful addiction to drinking. She was crass and obnoxious. However, she had still been their leader. A fierce one, at that. She had still saved them on countless occasions, offering up her life to protect the entire village.

Her assistant, Shizune, wasn't too far from her. It seemed she'd been taken out first, if he was not mistaken. There were many ANBU surrounding them also and he hoped his nephew was not amongst them. Hopefully, he would have escaped the carnage.

"Know this… The Hyuuga are the mightiest among Konoha," Hyuuga Hiashi murmured in a deadly soft voice, eyes fixated on the man standing close to the body of his Hokage. "We will not allow this to continue."

Danzo dropped his cane, turning to face the Hyuuga elders. "It will be a shame for Konoha to lose two clans in one night, but know that I am not opposed to it. If you and your clansmen go against me, you will all die in vain."

Hiashi smirked and raised his hands, slipping into the classic Hyuuga battle stance and behind him, the elders did the same. "Believe what you will."

 _Hinata, Hanabi and Neji. Use this distraction to run._

 _Please escape._

* * *

He was just in time, it seemed.

In one quick movement, he dispatched of the ROOT operatives in his brother's cell, ignoring his demands as he grabbed him and disappeared from view. Others would get involved if there was a lack of response from the operatives and while it would be better to take out as many of them as possible, they couldn't linger. They had to escape while they had the chance.

Danzo was a powerful man. He could manipulate even the strongest of men, bending them to his will. As well as that, he had an unknown number of operatives working for him, both ANBU and ROOT. They couldn't tell who was on their side or not. Unfortunately for them, it wasn't as simple as taking him out, either. They had to get close enough to do so and with Sasuke in his current state, it just wasn't possible.

If his parents had managed to subdue him long enough to get word out, then the clan would know to regroup at one of their hideouts on the outside of Fire Country. Even if they didn't, it was something they all knew to do, anyway.

"Itachi-"

"Quiet, Sasuke." Narrowing his red and black eyes, he glanced over his shoulder, hoping more than anything that Shisui and Sakura had escaped the massacre. His father assured them they would create an opening for them.

"Uchiha."

He came to an abrupt stop on the branch of a tree, watching the Hyuuga prodigy with hidden wariness. Could he trust this boy and his cousin? Could he trust the other Hyuuga clansmen he could sense hiding within the trees? Why were there so many of them? Why could he sense other villagers, too? Both civilians and shinobi?

It slowly dawned on him that it wasn't only an attack on his clan.

"Hokage-sama is-"

"Dead," Neji informed him, expression grave. "The elders and Hiashi-sama are holding off the attackers."

How had they missed such a massive attack? Surely they would have noticed something? It was all happening so fast. There wasn't any time to wonder why or how it was happening. The fact that Danzo and his operatives were holding their own against so many powerful shinobi meant they were a lot stronger than they'd ever anticipated.

 _But why would he attack like this? They were preparing for war!_

"How many have escaped?" he questioned, eyes glancing around them.

It was the female that spoke then, the one who could pass as Neji's sister rather than his cousin. He knew who she was. She was the future leader of the clan, having surpassed her older sister at a young age. "Many stayed behind to protect the civilians," she said. "Others are surrendering. It seems, if you surrender, Danzo will spare you."

That made sense. His quarrel was with the Uchiha Clan only. He wouldn't want to make Konoha weaker, not when they were so close to war. But once again, Itachi found himself confused and agitated by Danzo's actions. They contradicted everything he previously said about wanting the best for Konoha.

"If you follow us, we will lead you to a hideout that belongs to my clan," Itachi told those around them. "Try to be as silent as you can to avoid detection. If Danzo has thought this attack through, then he will have his operatives watching the borders for escapees."

"Nii-san."

Looking down at his brother, who he was still holding onto, he reached up, breaking the seal over his eyes and granting him his sight once more (although it would take a while to build up his stolen chakra, to activate his Sharingan again). His expression was empty, but Itachi was able to read the emotions in his eyes. Anger. Fear. Uncertainty. Vengeance.

"He tried to steal my eyes."

He…

Fixing Sasuke's arm over his shoulder, he spared a single glance back at the village. After Pain's attack, there hadn't been much left of it. Only the homes on the outskirts of the village had been spared (for the first time ever, he'd been grateful for the district being so far from the village centre), but over the past couple of weeks, they'd all been working tirelessly to rebuild their village.

Now, to see it up in flames, to hear the distinct sounds of battle and screams of death, he found himself filled with sorrow.

"Let's go," he ordered, not sparing the others a glance.

They would take back Konoha. They _would_ get justice for the lives lost.

But, for now, they had to escape.

* * *

 **A/N - I kinda got carried away and now I'm planning on making this a multi-chapter story. I'm not sure when it will be posted, as my main focus right now is Saviour and So This Is Love, but I promise it _will_ happen. I got so excited writing this that I didn't even notice it was over 10,000. I usually keep my one shots below 5,000 (6,000 at most). I've already started the plan for it and I'll do bit by bit until one of my other stories is completed. Then, it will become a main focus.**


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